Figures published by the WRC show that it received 466 employment equality complaints and 222 equal status complaints in the first six months of the year.

Of the employment equality complaints, 24 per cent involved disability, 21 per cent involved gender and 15 per cent involved race.

Some 14 per cent concerned family status, 13 per cent concerned age, and smaller numbers concerned civil status (five per cent), religion (four per cent), sexual orientation (three per cent) and membership of the Travelling community (two per cent).

Anna Perry, acting director-general of the WRC, said it was “too early to say if this trend will change for the full year”.

She added: “We are working with our stakeholders to deliver this key message — the place to make a complaint about discrimination is to the WRC.

“The WRC has recently developed some animated videos on a range of topics, including mediation, adjudication hearing, advisory reviews etc, but there are also specific videos relating to discrimination at work as covered by the Employment Equality Acts and discrimination in relation to the provision of goods or services, as covered by the Equal Status Acts. These videos are available on the WRC website www.workplacerelations.ie in a range of languages.

“Making a complaint is free and can be done online, and both sides can expect the WRC to give them both a hearing and a decision promptly.”