Results 7,341-7,360 of 14,127 for speaker:David Stanton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: You can liaise with the clerk to make sure when we are finished.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: I think we are finished. We hope to have hearings in the new year on racism, culturalism and integration. We have had a lot of submissions on that topic. We have been extraordinarily busy. We have had 21 reports so far in the last number of years in this committee but this is one that is on the agenda. Hopefully, early in the new year, we will have hearings on that and do a report on it....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: I thank the delegates very much for being here today and for their engagement with the committee members on this topic. We have had a lot of groups here in the last number of years. This has been one of the most impressive we have had. I am really impressed, taken and moved by what I have heard and read.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: We will bring this discussion, if colleagues are in agreement, to the attention of the Minister and forward the transcripts and so on also. Thank you very much for being here today. We will now go into private session for a few minutes to discuss some housekeeping matters. Hopefully we will not be too long.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: Please do.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: I note from the submissions the delegation made a number of requests concerning support for travel costs, a specialist tracing service, appropriate reparation to enable the community to seek relief from poverty and so on. Reference was made to post-traumatic slave syndrome. I could not believe the phrase when I read it. Would the delegation like to comment on that? Maybe it could inform...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: Do any members wish to speak?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: Would Deputy Ferris be interested in acting as a liaison between the group and the committee? Many issues need to be progressed. Perhaps if she was willing and able to act as a liaison she could bring suggestions to us which we could pass on to Government, Ministers and other agencies. Would that be appropriate?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: The delegation has a very strong advocate. Could we work on that basis? We may take some issues one at a time and work incrementally to move on, heighten awareness and meet some requests, including a possible meeting with the Minister and people like that. I must admit I was not aware of any of this until it was brought to my attention.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: Today has been an education for all of us. I hope members of the media are taking note as well. I note the language used by the delegates is not a language of blame. They are looking forward to the future.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: This is perhaps a beginning.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: May I ask if there has been engagement with any other State agency, body or group on these issues before the group members came here today?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: Not at formal, Government or State level as such.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: Ms Brennan started her contribution by thanking us. I think it should be the other way around: we should thank her and her colleagues for coming here today.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: I thank Ms Adaser. On behalf of members, I also welcome the people in the Visitors Gallery who have joined us today. Their presence is appreciated and they are very welcome.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: As I have said, we have read some of the research and I concur with Ms Evon Brennan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: Thank you, Evon.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: Thank you very much, Ms Brennan. I also thank Deputy Anne Ferris for bringing these issues to the attention of the committee and the Oireachtas. I have read through all of the documentation the delegates submitted and the testimony it contains is extremely moving. I can see why Ms Brennan had to pause at one point. The stories she has related are very disturbing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: I invite Deputy Anne Ferris to comment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Experience of Persons of Mixed Race in State Institutions: Mixed Race Irish (22 Oct 2014)

David Stanton: The purpose of this part of the meeting is to have an engagement with representatives of Mixed Race Irish on the experience of its members in State institutions. On behalf of the joint committee, I welcome Ms Carole Brennan, Ms Evon Brennan and Ms Rosemary Adaser. The format of the meeting is that I will invite our guests to make an opening statement, which will be followed by a questions...