Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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263. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the strategies that he will pursue to tackle the growing racism and ignorance of multiculturalism in Ireland; if any thought has been given to re-establishing the national consultative committee on racism and interculturalism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62918/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Ireland is a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nation, and everyone has a right to live here free of racial discrimination. According to 2016 Census figures, almost 12% of our population has a nationality other than Irish, while 17% of us were born abroad. In terms of nationality, ethnicity, language, culture and religion, our population is growing more diverse every year. But unfortunately, there is evidence that racism exists in Ireland and that some people who live here feel its impact on their day-to-day lives in a variety of ways. The Government is committed to tackling racism. My department is addressing this in a number of ways, including the Migrant Integration Strategy, and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy.

I will shortly seek Government approval to publish the National Action Plan Against Racism and accompanying implementation plans.

My Department also has numerous funding streams in place to support locally organised diversity and equality projects. These include the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Communities Integration Fund, the National Integration Fund and the International Protection Integration Fund. Funding provided to Gender Equality and Traveller and Roma organisations is also used to support locally organised diversity and equality events. The Department funds these events through both EU and national funding programmes.