Ms Steph Hanlon:

To build on what previous speakers have mentioned around what we can do to address this issue, in Le Chéile we look at it from three different levels, the structural, cultural and individual levels. The question is how can we tie in and integrate each of those levels. We see at the individual level the responsibility tends to fall on individuals to do fact-checking and to decide whether we should share or not share misinformation and whether we believe manipulated or fabricated content. We also have the structural level, which is absolutely essential. Reference was made to funding but there also has to be the political will. That is absolutely critical because the political will dictates where that funding goes, the nature of the funding and the terms and conditions attached to it.

Another element to this remit is the call for public information campaigns regarding migration and immigration to differentiate between the different types of migrants, including those seeking international protection. It is imperative that any information campaign by the Government is objective, fact-based and impartial. There are political narratives when it comes to migration which problematise people seeking international protection and play directly into far-right claims and legitimise those claims. For example, we see discourse around trafficking, around genuine verses ingenuine refugees, and around abusing or taking advantage of the immigration system. That is highly concerning because, first, it creates considerable confusion in the minds of communities and members of the public in general when there one side is presented and then the other side. Also, research has proven time and again that such language reproduces a negative narrative that marginalises and excludes communities and migrant communities.

There are ways we can draw these in and connect them in a holistic way but the community and the voluntary sector, and individuals in communities, are filling this gap at the moment. This is where we find we are putting out fires. There is a vacuum there and we are on the front line. As Ms Crickley touched on, a huge antidote to that was seen last Saturday when we had 50,000 people coming out on the streets. The negative narrative was challenged on an individual level and at the grassroots level, which is where we are really seeing the bulwark. That is where the work is being done. It is the fuel and the engine behind this at the moment. The grassroots level is connecting the individual, cultural and structural levels. It is massively reflecting the huge political and cultural shift in the Irish landscape in the last couple of years. We are seeing the progressive voices of the communities coming out. It really shows the diversity, richness and variety of our society.

My point is that this must be tackled at each level and responsibility cannot fall on just one area, even if we are talking about funding and the political will to direct it in the right area. It must be matched with a clear commitment to impartiality when we are talking about migration at a political level.