Dail parties sign election protocol against racism

All the political parties in the Dáil have signed an anti-racism protocol designed to prevent politicians playing the "race card" in the run-up to the general election.

However, individual candidates, smaller parties and independents are not being asked to endorse the protocol, which has been drawn up by the Government's National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism.

It was originally envisaged that individuals would be asked to sign the protocol, but the NCCRI later backed off from this approach. It cites the failure of a similar measure in Britain, where large numbers of candidates refused to sign on grounds of conscience.

The protocol requires parties to ensure that election campaigns are run in such a way that they do not "incite hatred or prejudice on the grounds of race, colour, nationality or ethnic or national origins, religious belief and membership of the Travelling Community".

It also requires parties to condemn racist campaign materials or statements, and to guarantee that debates with asylum-seekers or travellers are conducted "in a responsible way and with respect for the dignity and rights of minority ethnic groups".

Mr Philip Watt, director of the NCCRI, said it was up to the parties to police the protocol.

Mr Watt was speaking yesterday at a seminar on the recommendations arising from last year's World Conference against Racism in Durban. This recommended that each state formulate a national plan against racism.

Mr Michael Farrell, a member of the Human Rights Commission, criticised the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, for failing to "acknowledge the serious and widespread nature of the problem of racism in Ireland".

Mr Farrell said there had been a "frightening upsurge" of racism and xenophobia in Ireland. The scale of the problem was greater today than it had been even last year and it had turned more vicious since the killing of a Chinese man two weeks ago.

Mr Niall McCutcheon, a principal officer in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, said the Government planned a three-month consultation period in advance of the drawing up of a national plan against racism.

The Department intended to provide training for ethnic minority groups to help them engage with the political parties, Mr McCutcheon said.