Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2004
19 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the EU-wide actions that he is instigating, as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union, to combat racism and discrimination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9981/04]
View answer32 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps being taken by the Government to combat anti-Semitism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9991/04]
View answer46 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the manner in which the Government marked International Day Against Racism on 21 March 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10015/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 19, 32 and 46 together.
As the Deputies are aware, part of my work during the Ireland's Presidency will be to progress the EU anti-discrimination programme. Article 13 of the Amsterdam treaty allows the Community to take action to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. In this regard, the Council of the European Union adopted two anti-discrimination directives in 2000, the Race Directive (2000/43/EC) and the Framework Employment Directive (2000/78/EC). A third directive, the Gender Equal Treatment Directive (2002/73/EC), has many provisions in common with the race and framework employment directives.
The overall effect of the three directives is to require member states to prohibit direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and harassment on grounds of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation in relation to employment, self-employment or occupational and vocational training. Victimisation is also prohibited. The current Irish equality legislation is already substantially compliant with these directives and it is my intention to implement all three directives at the same time.
The directives are being transposed into Irish legislation by means of the Equality Bill 2004, which was published in January. The Bill was completed in the Seanad in February and commenced proceedings in the Dáil on 25 March. The Second Stage will be resumed shortly and enactment will take place as soon as practicable thereafter.
Also under Article 13, the EU adopted a Council decision establishing a community action programme to combat discrimination to run from 2001 to 2006. Ireland participates on an ongoing basis in a programme committee which is in place to assist and advise the European Commission on the implementation of the community action programme activities. Last June, in Brussels, the EU Commission launched an EU-wide anti-discrimination awareness campaign as part of its action programme.
As part of Ireland's Presidency of the European Union, my Department will also be involved in organising a number of conferences. On 9 June 2004, my Department in association with the national consultative committee on racism and inter-culturalism, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the EUMC will hold an EU-wide seminar in Dublin entitled, Combating racism through building a more inclusive, inter-cultural Europe. The seminar has the following objectives: to enhance awareness and mutual understanding of discourse, policy and practise in addressing racism and promoting inter-culturalism in an enlarged EU, to identifykey building blocks for building a more inclusive, inter-cultural Europe where racism is effectively challenged, to consider priorities for effective strategies and to consider and monitorprogress.
On 27 and 28 May 2004 in Limerick, my Department will host an equality and diversity conference entitled, Closing the Gap: Systematic approaches to Promoting Equality and Diversity in Europe. The conference will focus on international experience across three selected themes — the role of independent equality bodies in the promotion of equal treatment, best practice in equality and diversity in the workplace and promoting and accommodating diversity in the provision of services. The objective of the conference is to raise awareness and support efforts to combat discrimination across all the six grounds in Article 13 of the Treaty of the European Communities — race, gender, age, disability, religion and sexual orientation. The conference will also provide an opportunity to share the knowledge and experiences of Irish and international colleagues. This approach aims to ensure that existing member states, and new member states following enlargement, have a uniform understanding and approach to implementing European anti-discrimination law and practice.
On a national level, the Deputies will be aware that this country has in place comprehensive structures to combat racism and racial discrimination, including anti-Semitism. Our equality legislation — the Equality Act 1998 and the Equal Status Act 2000 — is supported by national bodies such as, the Equality Authority and the Equality Tribunal. In addition we have the national consultative committee on racism and inter-culturalism which is an independent expert body, primarily funded by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, focusing on racism and inter-culturalism. The NCCRI is a partnership body which brings together government and non-government organisations to develop strategic approaches to combating racism and promoting a more inclusive and inter-cultural society in Ireland.
With regard to the particular issue of anti-Semitism, a report recently published in March 2004 by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, EUMC, Manifestations of Anti-Semitism in the EU 2002-2003, stated that there was no discernible evidence of an increase in anti-Semitic violence or rhetoric over the period 2002 to 2003, and no evidence of systematic targeting of the Jewish community in Ireland.
Holocaust memorial day was marked in Ireland in January 2004 in City Hall, Dublin, by a commemoration organised by the Holocaust memorial day committee in association with my Department and addressed by President McAleese. The national anti-racism awareness programme, Know Racism, and my Department provided financial support to the Holocaust memorial day in January 2003 and 2004.
In regard to monitoring incidents in society which are motivated by racism or xenophobia, the gardaí record these events on the PULSE computer system. Personnel at the Garda racial and inter-cultural office monitor all incidents to ensure that the system is accurately recording all such offences and where such incidents occur, the Garda Síochána ensures that an investigation is pursued with reference to the provisions of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 and the Prohibition of the Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 which are the relevant legislative instruments pertaining to hate crime.
Statistics on racist incidents are released in the Garda annual reports — the most recent report refers to 2003. The NCCRI also monitors incidents of racism on the basis of reports it receives from victims and the general public. Details of reports received are published every six months. On the basis of information from these and other sources, my Department continues to assess trends and recommends appropriate policy changes where necessary.
The Deputies will also be mindful of the fact that my Department is in the process of finalising Ireland's first ever national action plan against racism. The consultation process for the plan took place between March 2002 and February 2003 and was overseen by a steering group, with representation from both Government and non-government organisations. In July 2003, I published, Diverse Voices, A Summary of the Outcomes of the Consultative Process and a Proposed Framework for the National Action Plan Against Racism, which is available on my Department's website. This document outlines the five main objectives which the framework for the plan will be built around. Briefly these objectives are protection from racism; inclusion in the socio-economic sense; equality of access to the provision of services; participation of minorities in Irish society; decision making; recognition and building respect of cultural diversity and promoting interaction and understanding. The plan is nearing completion and my Department has almost concluded the process of taking on board observations which have been received from other Departments.
This year and in each of the past two years a large number of anti-racist and inter-cultural events were organised throughout the country, North and South, to mark the international day against racism on 21 March and European week against racism in March. The events were co-ordinated by the national consultative committee on racism and inter-culturalism NCCRI, in partnership with Know Racism and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. Details of the events were published in a booklet which was distributed by the NCCRI. Many of the events in local communities were funded in the earlier years by the Know Racism programme through its grant schemes.
The theme for 2004 focused on the full participation of minority ethnic groups in broader society. The 2004 activities included a press conference, Count Me In, organised by the NCCRI where representatives from the main political parties endorsed the anti-racism election protocol for political parties.
