People embracing immigration changes, insists minister
Racism is always a potential problem in Ireland but citizens have successfully embraced changes brought about by the influx of immigrants, it was claimed today.
Justice & Equality Minister Michael McDowell said Ireland had managed the changeover from being a net emigration country to a net immigration state.
Mr McDowell today launched the Equality Authority’s 2005 Report which confirmed racial discrimination against migrant workers continued to dominate its files.
But Mr McDowell said: “The common sense of the Irish people and their decency is the underlying value that exists in Ireland today. We are a conservative people in many respects but also a people who are embracing change.
“We have managed the process of change without the by-products we have seen in other countries.”
The Authority logged a total of 954 cases under its legislation remit, including 359 under the Employment Equality Acts, 358 under the Equal Status Acts and 37 under the Intoxicating Liquor Act.
Almost one-third of all cases involved racial discrimination against migrant workers in finding employment, working conditions, harassment and dismissal.
The authority’s information centre dealt with 11,474 inquiries during the year on the Employment Equality Acts, the Equal Status Acts, the Maternity Protection Acts, the Adoptive Leave Act and the Parental Leave Act.
In particular, queries on the Employment Equality Acts grew by 18% and by 6% on the Equal Status Acts.
Incidents relating to Travellers remain the largest category under the Equal Status Acts at 29%.
These include allegations of discrimination covering access to schools, licensed premises, shops and public sector and private sector accommodation.
Mr McDowell pointed out that Ireland has not witnessed scenes of group violence between ethnic groups in Ireland like in other European countries.
But referring to an incident at the abandoned Love Ulster riots in February he said: “Young savages, gratuitously, took people with different skin colour from themselves, brought them out onto the street, and beat them up. That shows that if you mix extreme nationalism with violence, you will get a political situation where some people resort to crude racism.”
The Equality Authority report also detailed complaints were also received on disability grounds involving allegations of a failure by employers and service providers to make facilitate access by employees and customers with disabilities.
Continuing inequalities experienced by women in the workplace were also featured under the Employment Equality Acts.
Cases under the Intoxicating Liquor Act reflected discrimination by publicans across disability, sexual orientation, age and traveller grounds.
The authority’s chief, Niall Crowley, criticised delays in the appointment of equality officers, the scheduling of hearings and delivery of recommendations.
“These delays mean that remedies are not effective, proportionate and dissuasive,” he added.
During 2005 an Equality Authority survey found that 12.5% of respondents over 18 had experienced discrimination within the last two years.
Up to 5% had experienced work-related discrimination and 9% had encountered discrimination in accessing services.
“This makes clear the challenging context within which the Equality Authority seeks to implement its mandate.
“It provides an important benchmark against which to measure progress in promoting a more equal society and makes the case for an empowered and well-resourced equality infrastructure,” Mr Crowley said.
“Policies, procedures and practices in institutions need to adapt to take account of the diversity of their employees and of their customers if institutions are to be effective in preventing discrimination, promoting equality and accommodating diversity.
“Over the past year we have been able to stimulate and support important initiatives in this regard.”
During 2005, 159 small and medium-sized enterprises were supported in developing employment equality policies and equality and diversity training strategies.
The Health Service Executive, the Department of Health and Children and the Equality Authority also published guidelines on the Equal Status Acts for the sector.
Kerry VEC became the first educational establishment to be supported to conduct an Equal Status Review – an audit of the level of equality of opportunity that exists in the service provided.
“These organisations, representing many different aspects of working life and services for the wider community, have demonstrated a leadership in the increased emphasis being placed on equality.
“They are developing a practice involving institutional change, that will be key if we are to make further inroads into current levels of discrimination,” added Mr Crowley.
