Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
951. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department, and public bodies and agencies under his remit, have an anti-racism policy that can be accessed by the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27667/23]
View answerMy Department is committed to promoting and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees and values each person both for who they are and what they contribute to the work of the Department.
My Department's current Statement of Strategy 2021-2024 sets out as one of our core values "A strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and the fair and equal treatment of all."
My Department’s Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Policy, which was launched in 2018, builds on our core values in these areas.
In May 2022 an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Advocacy team was launched by my Secretary General. The mission of this team, which is representative of the diverse nature and regional locations of my staff is to "To celebrate the diversity of our people and promote equality of opportunity and respect for diversity in all aspects of the Department’s business. To promote, champion and foster a work environment where our people are free to be their authentic selves, be creative, thrive and flourish, while making a valuable contribution to the Department's goals.
Actions undertaken by this team in its first year include the organisation of events to celebrate both International Women's and International Men's day and initiatives to support and facilitate employment and learning opportunities for people with disabilities.
In May of this year to celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity for dialogue and development, the ED&I Advocacy team facilitated a series of videos where a number of my staff from diverse backgrounds shared their lived experiences. Staff members from Italy, Nigeria, Chile, Syria and Spain shared traditions and stories from their homeland and their experiences of moving to Ireland to work. Colleagues shared some perspectives on working in my Department, including some guidance and tips on welcoming new staff from diverse backgrounds. These videos were shared with colleagues across my Department in celebration of World Cultural Diversity Day and to send a strong message of inclusion and equality to colleagues across my Department.
Our core values of equality, diversity and inclusion are embraced in respect of both our own employees and stakeholders and clients of my Department who avail of our wide range of services.
The matter of policies to embrace diversity, equality and inclusion by the State Agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for the Agencies themselves and I will ask the Agencies to respond directly to the Deputy on this matter.
