Vol. 476 No. 5
4 Mr. R. Burke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps, if any, being taken by the Government to put pressure on the British Government to establish a full inquiry into allegations of sectarian discrimination against Baroness Denton, the Northern Ireland Minister for Fair Employment; and the progress, if any, being made to resolve this fundamentally important issue. [7467/97]
Fair employment in Northern Ireland is an issue to which successive Irish Governments have attached a high priority. We wish to see the eradication of discrimination in employment in Northern Ireland and we regard the question of fair and equal access to the labour market in Northern Ireland as a basic human right for all, regardless of their community background.
In 1989, the then Government made a major contribution, through the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, to the strengthening of fair employment legislation when new legislation was enacted which amended and expanded the 1976 Fair Employment Act. We welcome the most recent findings of the Fair Employment Commission that the Catholic community's participation rate in employment has risen slowly but steadily since the adoption of the 1989 legislation. At the same time it is encouraging to note that the protection of the legislation is being invoked by both communities.
The matter raised by the Deputy is one of concern to the Government. We received representations on the issue from a number of Nationalist political figures in Northern Ireland who were also concerned at the implications of the case. The British Government was made aware of these concerns through the mechanisms of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
On 10 March, the Secretary of State, Sir Patrick Mayhew, announced an independent review of the deployment of staff in the private office of the Department of Agriculture. The investigation will be undertaken by the former Northern Ireland Ombudsman, Dr. Maurice Hayes. It is expected that Dr. Hayes's review of the case will be completed by mid-April when his report will be presented to the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. I share the Deputy's concerns on this issue and he can be assured I will keep the matter under careful review. In the meantime, I prefer to reserve any further comment pending the findings of Dr. Hayes's report.
I thank the Minister for his response and his acknowledgement of the efforts made by the Government in 1989. I had the privilege of being involved in the debates on fair employment legislation through the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. That is good legislation but it is unacceptable that the Minister in charge of overseeing the implementation of fair employment rules should be seen, by her actions, to condone sectarian harassment of an official in her office, who was the subject of sectarian harassment and received an award of £10,000 as a result. The person involved in that harassment, the private secretary to the Minister, is still in the office. Surely it does not need an independent inquiry or an independent review; that is a means of putting the matter on the long finger until after the British general election. Action should be taken at this stage in respect of the behaviour of the Minister involved.
I do not believe this matter is being put on the long finger. The inquiry will be into the deployment of staff in the ministerial office. The question of whether sectarian harassment occurred is not in doubt. Liability has been admitted and the victim received £10,000 in compensation. Dr. Hayes will concentrate on the events surrounding the subsequent transfer of the victim. We should await the outcome of this inquiry. We have been informed that the report of the inquiry will be available by mid-April which will be in advance of the British general election.
Why did it take the Minister involved so long to admit she had ordered the transfer?
With all due respects I can answer only on behalf of Irish Ministers and my own Department, I can hardly answer on behalf of British Ministers.
Why is the Minister's private secretary, the person involved in the sectarian harassment, still in the office? What type of message does that send to the communities in Northern Ireland about the commitment of the British Government to exercise its jurisdiction with rigorous impartiality and full respect for parity of esteem and freedom from discrimination and just and equal treatment for the identity, ethos and aspirations of both communities as expressed in the framework document? It is a question of judge me by what I say rather than what I do because, by any yardstick, the behaviour of Minister Denton in this case fails to conform to the words of the framework document. Surely the Minister should take a more vigorous approach to this matter within the context of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
We have raised this matter with the British Government and one must acknowledge that an inquiry has been launched.
A belated response.
The inquiry is taking place and I will await its outcome before making further comment.
