Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1359. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department, and public bodies and agencies under his remit, have an anti-racism policy which can be accessed by the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27675/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 (IHREC), requires public bodies, in the performance of their functions, to: eliminate discrimination; promote equality of opportunity; and protect the human rights of its members, staff and the persons to whom it provides services. A “public body” is defined in the Act as including, inter alia: a Department of State; a university or institute of technology; an education and training board; any other person, body or organisation established by or under an enactment of charter; and any other person, body, organisation or group financed wholly or partly out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas that stands prescribed for the time being. The specific reference to our universities, institutes of technology and education and training boards is important as it places an enhanced role and responsibility on those education institutions to promote and encourage respect, tolerance and equality of opportunity among their staff, students and wider society.

The tertiary education legislation under which my Department and its aegis bodies operate, complements the public sector duty espoused in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 and obligations under the Equality Acts; in terms of promoting the attainment of equality of opportunity and the support for equality, diversity and inclusion in our tertiary education sector. This has been further developed and enhanced in the new HEA Act 2022, which the Government published last year, placing an obligation on the HEA to advance and support equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion in higher education, including the participation and success of students in priority groups, or persons in such groups seeking to be students, in higher education. I have also made equality, diversity and inclusion in research and innovation a priority in the Research and Innovation Bill 2023, which was published in April.

With regard to anti-racism policies which can be accessed by the public, the Deputy will be aware of the work that has taken place in recent years regarding policies to address racism in our higher education sector. These include: a survey of the experiences of staff of racism in Irish higher education institutions; the publication of a report on the survey findings; the development and publication of a Race Equality Implementation Plan 2022-2024 responding to the survey findings; and the development of Anti-racism Principles for Irish Higher Education Institutions. Details of these policy documents can be accessed at: hea.ie/policy/gender/race-equality/

The Deputy will also be aware that the Government published Ireland’s National Action Plan Against Racism 2023-2027 (NAPAR) in March (www.gov.ie/en/press-release/d157a-minister-obrien-announces-publication-of-irelands-national-action-plan-against-racism-2023-2027/ ). My Department had a number of engagements with the Anti-Racism Committee established to monitor the development of the NAPAR and with officials in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability Integration and Youth, on the development of this strategy. The NAPAR includes a number of actions for the tertiary education sector.

My Department is also represented on the Steering Committees of the Migrant Integration Strategy, Irish Refugee Protection Programme and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy which are chaired by my colleague Roderic O’Gorman T.D., Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.