Katherine Zappone (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. McVeigh and Dr. Mac Laughlin for coming in and providing us with the evidence. It is great to be in the presence of such great academic warriors and men who clearly practice solidarity and understand the meaning of that. My first question comes from the phrase Dr. McVeigh uses regarding making the case for "ethnicity denial". That is very clever. This committee is working on a report and I am wondering if Dr. McVeigh could recommend any people who could come before the committee who could make that case for ethnicity denial.

Through his stories Dr. Mac Laughlin clearly explained how racism has never been worse. Given that fact, if the core to the political project is the recognition of ethnicity, perhaps both the witnesses could say a few words providing the evidence about how a recognition of ethnicity could lead towards a significant reduction in racism. That would be important for us to hear. That is largely what they are offering us, but I ask them to say it clearly.

The task force report was published in 1995, which is around the time I had just started working professionally in public policy circles, so I remember it very well and the importance of it. Why did we lose the lead we had then and what needs to change for us to recover that? Where are the resistance points that can help us in the work we do?