Racist attitudes are hardening and Government policies must change if Ireland is to be saved the "prejudice, polarisation and racial violence that have disfigured many other European countries", a conference was told yesterday.
The conference, hosted by the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, brought together community groups to discuss implementation of the Government's anti-racism plans.
The National Action Plan on Racism was launched by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the end of January.
President of the Irish Human Rights Commission Maurice Manning welcomed the Government's plan as real progress.
However, it was not perfect, he said, and warned the Government that its commitment to fighting racism would be monitored closely. "The Government knows that what it does will be subject to international scrutiny and that there are no hiding places."
He referred to funding problems, saying the plan would be ineffective if the resources were not in place to give it teeth. The racism committee was "under-resourced but led with courage and stamina". And although he welcomed the recognition of the need for funding for ethnic groups to participate in the national action plan, he said they needed general resources.
"They are central to effective dialogue," he said. "We would like to see a clear commitment to a funding structure for such groups."
He also called for "significant extra funding" to carry out anti-racist policies. It would be money well spent if it saved Ireland from the virulent racism seen in some European states, he said.
