Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 374: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will comment on the recent finding of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, NCCRI, that the Government's proposal to remove the right to citizenship by birth has fuelled a sharp increase in racist incidents in the State and that a large number of pregnant non-national women have been targeted for racial abuse. [15727/04]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I understand from the NCCRI that the claims made by the Deputy, which I believe emanate from recent newspapers reports, are somewhat exaggerated and may be only partially correct.

The Garda racial and intercultural office monitors racist incidents reported to the Garda Síochána and the office has informed me that there has not been a sharp increase in the number of racist incidents reported to gardaí since the announcement of the proposed referendum. That office also informed me that there has been no reporting to the Garda Síochána of the alleged racial abuse of a large number of pregnant women.