Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 631: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the implications of the findings of the Breaking Down Barriers report recently commissioned by Amnesty International specifically with regard to the view expressed in the aftermath of the report's being published that Ireland was in the dark ages in respect of its treatment of racism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14386/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I can assure the Deputy that the Government takes very seriously its role in the development of a caring, tolerant and fair society through the implementation of appropriate policies. With regard to combating racism and managing diversity, this Government has already set out its policy in the national action plan against racism, NPAR.

The NPAR is a comprehensive statement of the Government's anti-racism and diversity policy. It recognises that racism can take many and overlapping forms and specifically identifies institutional or systemic racism as one such form. It underpins the existing legislative and administrative framework on equality matters. The basis for implementation is a whole of Government approach — mainstreaming intercultural policy developments across a range of activity — and identifying five key objectives of protection, economic and social inclusion, service provision, recognition and participation. Hardly a week goes by without the commencement of an initiative associated with the plan as dynamically steered by the chair of the steering group, Lucy Gaffney.

I might add that, in telling contrast to the report to which the Deputy refers, the NPAR is the result of an extensive consultation process overseen by a national steering group, which included social partner organisations, Government Departments, specialised and expert bodies and a wide range of civil society groups working with cultural and ethnic minorities. The implementation of the NPAR is being monitored by a strategic group representative of these very same stakeholders.

Given these developments, I totally reject the comments referred to by the Deputy that Ireland is in the dark ages in respect of its treatment of racism. I respectfully suggest that the only one in the dark ages is the author of those comments. Certainly, no credible commentator on the Irish situation would have made such a statement. It is not, as far as I am aware, something which appears in the report itself.

Indeed, the UN Committee for the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, UNCERD, in its concluding observations on Ireland's first and second report on the implementation of that convention welcomed, in particular, the launch of the NPAR; the establishment of several independent institutions with competence in the field of human rights and racial discrimination; Ireland's comprehensive legislative framework in the anti-discrimination area; and the wide-ranging consultations with civil society groups in the preparation of Ireland's first and second national report to the UNCERD committee and noted the positive working relations that exist between Government, independent national bodies established in the human rights and anti-discrimination area and civil society groups.

Ireland is one of the few countries to have produced a national action plan against racism. The European monitoring centre against racism and xenophobia regards Ireland as being one of only six member states which maintained a comprehensive system that adequately reveals the extent and nature of racist violence in their society.

I take issue with many of the conclusions of the Breaking Down Barriers report. Many of the recommendations in the report are already comprehensively addressed in the NPAR. As always, my Department is happy to consider new ideas in respect of tackling racism and building an inclusive society, issues which are of the highest priority for the Government.