Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There is always a concern in this respect. We have all come across such incidents; some have been blatant, some have been subtle, some have been institutional and some have been against an individual. We have laws to deal with this issue. This is a specific offence. Anyone who experiences racist abuse or has been treated differently because he or she is a different colour, a different nationality or speaks a different language - it is a very broad mix - should report it. We take a dim view of such behaviour and treat racist abuse seriously. People reported for engaging in racist abuse have been prosecuted. Sometimes it is a minor issue but other times it can be quite aggressive and can have a huge impact not only on the individual against whom it was carried out, but on his or her family and friends. We have laws to deal with it. As in all other cases of discrimination, we need to encourage people to take action when such incidents occur.