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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 19 Jun 2001

Vol. 538 No. 3

Written Answers. - Racism in Britain.

Austin Deasy

Question:

81 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views regarding the degree of racism, some of it institutionalised, which is practised in Britain against Irish nationals and people of Irish descent; if he has raised the matter with his British counterpart; if so, the details of the response received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17915/01]

Any incidents of anti-Irish racism in Britain must be seen in the context of the greatly improved climate of Irish-British relations in recent years. The significant contribution of members of the Irish community there to the political, economic, social and cultural life of Britain is now fully recognised and appreciated by the British Government, as recorded by Prime Minister Blair in his address to the Houses of the Oireachtas in November 1998 and exemplified by his attendance at a recent London reception of the Federation of Irish Societies in Britain and the presence of the Home Secretary and the Northern Ireland Secretary at the federation's congress in Sheffield this past weekend.

This acknowledgement by the British authorities of the contribution of Irish people to society there is accompanied by acknowledgement that some of our community continue to encounter discrimination and disadvantage. A report in 1997 for the Commission for Racial Equality examined the extent of discrimination against the Irish community in Britain and how it affected many areas of people's lives. The report contained recommendations to Government agencies, statutory bodies, voluntary organisations and private companies about combating anti-Irish discrimination. The then British Home Secretary welcomed the raising of awareness of the issues covered by the commission's report and undertook to ensure that the concerns mentioned in it would be given proper attention.

Through the embassy in London the Irish Government also welcomed the report's highlighting of the problem of discrimination and we expressed support for the remedial action recommended. The embassy, in conjunction with the Federation of Irish Societies and other Irish organisations in Britain, is promoting and monitoring action to put into practice the recommendations in the report.
Following representations by the embassy in support of it, one of the key recommendations – that the separate ethnicity of Irish people be recognised by the inclusion of an Irish ethnic category in the census of population – has been implemented in respect of England and Wales in the April 2001 census. This gives a lead to official bodies generally to monitor and give particular attention to services for the Irish community.
The Home Secretary has responsibility for British Government policy in this area and the Commission for Racial Equality is the only Government body with the statutory power to enforce the Race Relations Act. Discrimination and disadvantage are as repugnant to the British Government as they are to us. We remind them of the importance of sensitivity by public authorities towards the distinctive social and cultural characteristics of the Irish people with whom they have dealings.
The embassy in London takes up with the British authorities specific instances of alleged anti-Irish racism or discrimination. If the Deputy has information about any such particular case, I will ask the embassy to investigate it.
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