As Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I am determined to ensure that every individual in this country is treated equally before the law regardless of his or her ethnic origin.
The Garda authorities are committed to ensuring that members of the Garda Síochána receive training in race relations in view of the changing nature of Irish society and that the content of this training – for recruits and serving members – is kept under ongoing review.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that all student and probationer gardaí receive instruction in the area of race relations as part of their two year education and training programme.
Specifically, the social studies element of the programme deals with discrimination, prejudice, stereotyping and best practice for policing interaction with ethnic minority groups. It includes a seminar on ethnicity, traveller culture and discrimination against the travelling community. Pavee Point make a presentation at this seminar. The social studies course also covers instruction in human rights conferred by the Constitution and European Convention on Human Rights and deals with policing and human rights.
The Garda Síochána Human Rights Initiative 1999-2000 "Policing and Human Rights: Promoting Best Practice" has as one of its core tasks the further development of human rights training at all levels within the organisation, including human rights training in the context of policing in a multi-ethnic society.
The legal studies element of the training and education programme provides instruction in the relevant provisions of the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act, 1989, and other relevant legislation.
During the final phase of training for Garda recruits members from the Garda Síochána community relations section attend at the Garda College to conduct a seminar at which issues concerning policing in a diverse and pluralist society are explored.
Similar training is provided at the Garda College for Garda supervisors and managers and designated Garda immigration officers deployed at ports of entry to the State. Inservice training schools throughout the country also provide training in policing in a multi-ethnic society.