Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ireland has built its tourism industry and even its identity around the concept of the welcome. Our fáilte is world-renowned but there has been precious little of the céad míle fáilte in our public discourse recently. Unwarranted attacks on asylum seekers and people from sub-Saharan Africa, as well as unfounded inferences and accusations not based on fact, were made in this very Chamber only weeks ago. I want to look at racism today as something that starts from the top and can seep and spread into all aspects of Irish life. We, the legislators and public representatives, must not only guard against racism but must become the champions of the oppressed and those who are discriminated against, the new citizens of our country experiencing vile abuse on a daily basis. We must say, quite simply, that this has to stop. We should strive to make that concept, that image, that open-hearted gesture we are so famous for, and make it central to who we are. We should extend our fáilte to everyone and make tolerance and compassion our only standard when it comes to dealing with others, no matter what their background, origin, race or colour. As HG Wells said, "Our true nationality is mankind." It is who we are at our core. We are all human, enduring the same struggles and successes and striving towards the same goals - to be safe, to be healthy, to work and contribute to society and for our families to do the same.

There is a phrase creeping into our discourse; the "white Irish". I abhor and refute the notion that somehow there is one type of Irish person who means more than another. The Minister of State referenced the ceremony in Killarney this week at which 2,000 people from Poland, the UK, Nigeria and all over the world were made citizens of our Republic. It is not in our remit or power to tell these new citizens they are lesser citizens than others.

I do not need to remind a single person in this House or anyone who is listening of our history, our well-trodden path of emigration to countries all over the world. When we were hungry, or rather starving; when we were poor; when our pockets and wallets were empty and there was no prospect of work; when we had no hope of ever being able to afford a house in our glorious Republic; when our system failed us as citizens; when we faced discrimination; when our language taken away from us; and when we came out of jail as political prisoners and were told to take the boat, that is what we did. We took the boat and later the plane. We looked up from our misery and woes and remembered who we were and who we still are; citizens of Europe and citizens of the world.

Those before us, whose shoulders we stand on, took the bravest step any person can take.

They left their worlds, lives, homes, security, culture, and families. They left so much behind them and ventured out into this brave new world, this great unknown, this adventure of a lifetime. In many instances, they found what they were looking for, in America, Canada, Australia and in England. In countries all over the world, the Irish arrived and the Irish thrived. This story of emigration, of leaving our home behind us and arriving in a new country is more than something we are familiar with, it is scored into our DNA, it is written in our very bones. It wrings the heart of every parent who witnesses their child walking through the departure gates of airports to new lives far away from our tiny island home.

If we lose sight of our history, we will forget who we are. We are a nation of adventurers, travellers, migrants, emigrants and immigrants, a nation of millions who were brave enough to leave their misery behind them and leave in search of a better life. Just as we left, so too have all the diverse nationalities who are arriving daily on our shores. Instead of judging, we must welcome. Instead of bad-mouthing them, we must listen to their stories and discover who they are. Instead of meeting those people with unfounded fears, we must meet them with tolerance and acceptance, compassion and humanity.

Ireland is now a diverse and multicultural country. There is no such thing any more as white Irish. The growing diversity in our population has sadly been matched with a growth of racial intolerance, violence, and discrimination. As I mentioned at the beginning of my contribution, we have seen inflammatory remarks made in this very Chamber and from candidates running for office. For that reason, as public representatives, we must be absolute and vigilant in our leadership on this issue. We must be absolutely intolerant of intolerance. We must be the watchdogs on unsuitable language. It is imperative that we lead the way for all of society.

More effort must be put into integration. We must act now or it will be too late. I commend Fáilte Isteach, a programme of third age, which is run by Áine Brady, CEO, a former Member of this House. It has 132 branches and 1,100 trained tutors who are all volunteers. They are doing incredible work, which is recognised across Europe. The programme provides training in Germany and Italy. If we are not proactive in recognising Ireland's new-found diversity and celebrating it, there is a danger that we will witness segregation and tension, which we see at the moment among our nearest neighbours. We are not doing enough to integrate newly arriving migrants into society. Ireland's national action plan against racism has not been renewed or updated since 2008.

Ireland is one of the only western democracies that relies on the wider criminal law system, rather than specific hate crime legislation. The Bill I introduced in 2016 passed Second Stage three years ago, but the Government has refused to issue a money message to allow it to progress. As the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, is aware, that failure to introduce hate crime legislation was the subject of much criticism from the UN when Ireland's progress on eliminating racial discrimination was before the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination last week. I am aware the Minister of State was present. Our own agencies are doing Trojan work in the field of combatting racism but they also have plenty of criticism to levy at the Government for its inaction on this issue and its failure to promote integration and inclusion in society. The immediate issues affecting people who are subjected to racism include hate speech and crime, inequality in the workplace, homelessness and education. This gap in legislation has been highlighted by many, including the Garda Síochána and legal practitioners. A number of high-profile cases of hate crime highlight the pressing need for legislation to address the issue. I welcome the recent decision of An Garda Síochána to introduce a working definition of "hate crime", but much more needs to be done. The most basic support the Garda requires is effective legislation through which perpetrators can be prosecuted.

Homelessness is an issue that has been much debated in this Chamber in recent weeks. I wish to highlight the challenges faced by families of Roma and African descent, as such people often find it impossible to secure any accommodation on the private rental market. Last weekend, in a sermon delivered to mark the beginning of Advent, Dr. Diarmuid Martin said that he was "horrified" to find racism among believers in the church. He said:

l think of the emergence of a new language of racism, at times understated in its expression but just as nasty in its effects on men and women who need our help, our care and our respect. I am horrified to find traces of such racism among believers. The terms 'refugee' and 'asylum seeker' should only arouse heartfelt concern in the Christian heart.

There is a staggering dearth of leadership on this issue from our political masters, and it is incumbent on the Government to lead. There are many steps the public can take in terms of reporting hate crime and people must do that. It is not enough to clap ourselves on the back when the Irish Naval Service rescues emigrants in the Mediterranean. It is not enough to be shocked when we hear of people dying while they are being smuggled. It is not enough to shed tears at the sight of dead children like Alan Kurdi on the beach, because they were drowned while fleeing persecution. We need to do more. We need to tackle racism collectively, as a society. We must find it in our hearts to extend the welcome that was extended to the emigrating Irish all over the world. We must accept the diversity of our society and always remember acceptance of other cultures is not a denial of our own.

See this speech in context