Publication
Approved Terms of Reference of the Anti-Racism Committee
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
• To review the current evidence and outcomes, including identifying data gaps, in relation to racial discrimination in Ireland;
• To examine and benchmark against international best practice in combating racism;
• To hold stakeholder dialogue and consultation to identify the views of wider civil society; members of the public; members of the Oireachtas; the business sector; media and other relevant parties; relating to the development of a society where institutional and individual racism are not tolerated;
• To develop a blueprint for a draft national strategy against racism;
• To produce an interim report to Government not more than three months after its first meeting identifying priority issues and a programme of work for the Committee;
• Having regard to the review of evidence, including state responses to UN and European commitments; international practice; the outcome of stakeholder dialogues; and taking account of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; to provide a draft anti-racism strategy, containing a clear action plan, at the end of one year that:
- identifies priority issues to be addressed;
- makes recommendations on strengthening the Government’s approach to combating racism, building on the actions currently included in the Migrant Integration Strategy and the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy
- generates ideas and make recommendations for reducing racist abuse in the public space including online.
Professor Caroline Fennell is a Professor of Law in the School of Law, University College Cork. A founder member and co-Director of the Centre for Criminal Justice and Human Rights (2006-8), her research focuses on constructions of fairness in criminal justice, with particular reference to marginalisation and crisis situations such as terrorism. Appointed a Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission by the President of Ireland in May 2018, Professor Fennell is also the current Chair of ENNHRI (European Network of National Human Rights Institutions).
Meadhbh Costello is a Social Policy Executive at IBEC, the Irish employer and business representative body. In this role, Meadhbh is responsible for providing support and strategic advice to IBEC member organisations on diversity and inclusion, as well as lobbying and the development of policy positions on issues related to skills and the labour market. Prior to joining IBEC Meadhbh has extensive experience as a Policy Analyst and Project Manager in the business, think tank and Government ministry sectors in Ireland and abroad. Meadhbh holds a BA in philosophy, political science, economics and sociology from Trinity College Dublin.
Anastasia Crickley was head of the Department of Applied Social Studies Maynooth University until 2015 where she championed access for marginalised and minority groups including Travellers. She is former chairperson of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, was first chairperson of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) and Special Representative on Racism of the OSCE chairperson. She was chairperson of the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism from 1998 until 2008
Building on her work with Irish emigrants she co-founded the Migrants Rights Centre Ireland and has played leadership roles in the foundation and development of Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas, Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre, Community Work Ireland, European Network against Racism and the International Association for Community Development.
Michelle Cullen is a Managing Director in Accenture Ireland. Over the past five years, Michelle has defined and led Accenture’s inclusion and diversity strategy in Ireland, driving comprehensive actions across gender equality, LGBT+ inclusion, cross-cultural awareness, social mobility and enablement. More recently, Michelle designed and led Accenture’s own stand against racism locally, with a number of strategic initiatives to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to equality. Accenture has been honoured with multiple awards for I&D including Employer of the Year 2019. A strong advocate for diversity in leadership and a regular contributor in national media, Michelle is co-founder of Accenture’s Women on Walls initiative to make women leaders visible. Michelle regularly engages as a speaker in academic and business settings in Ireland and internationally. She was named inaugural Woman of the Year at the Women in IT Awards and is a Dublin City University Alumni Achievement honouree.
Tom Enright was appointed Chief Executive of Wexford County Council in 2014. A native of Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Mr. Enright worked in Limerick for almost 20 years where he held the posts of Director of Environment and Emergency Services with Limerick County Council and Director of Planning and Economic Development with Limerick City and County Councils. He previously worked with Waterford and Wicklow County Councils and with consultants in the private sector. He Chairs the National Libraries Development Committee and the CCMA Land Use and Transportation Committee. He is a graduate of University College Cork and Cranfield University in the UK and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Dublin City University.
Dr. Sindy Joyce is a Human Rights Defender (HRD) and member of President Michael D Higgins Council of State. She was named as one of the ‘50 brilliant Irish women who inspired us in 2018’ by the Daily Edge. In 2014, she won the Traveller Pride Award for Education. She is the first Mincéir (Irish Traveller) in Ireland to graduate with a PhD and to be appointed to the Council of State. Her research interests include both direct and indirect forms of racism, ethnicity/identity, social/political constructions of Mincéirí and the production of space related inequalities, her PhD title was Mincéirs Siúladh: An ethnographic study of young Travellers’ experiences of racism in an Irish city. Sindy was successful in winning the prestigious Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Scheme with a top score of 95.5%.
Shamsun Nahar Khan completed her Masters in International Development Studies at Maynooth University. Prior to this she gained work experience as an intern at the Development Studies Association Ireland (DSAI) in Trinity College. She has completed her Bachelors of Law (LLB Hons) at Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK and Master of Laws (LLM) at Durham University, Durham, UK. She went further to complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Law Practice and training in Mediation and is an Accredited Mediator. She aspires to use her educational background and skills to promote for a just and equal society.
Úna-Minh Kavanagh hails from County Kerry and is a journalist, author and multimedia content creator. She published her first book, ‘Anseo’ on the Irish language, identity, racism and her childhood in Kerry with New Island Books in 2019. Úna-Minh won an award as Social Activist of the Year with U Magazine in 2017 for her campaign, ‘We Are Irish’ and now runs the good news website WeAreIrish.ie. She is a blogger whose written work has been nominated for blog awards several times over the years and a live-stream gamer who broadcasts in English and in Irish. Úna-Minh has a BA in Irish and Journalism from Dublin City University agus tá Gaelainn aici – she is also a passionate Irish speaker.
Patricia is the General Secretary of ICTU. She is a former vice-President of SIPTU and also served as one of two vice-Presidents of Congress. A full time official with SIPTU for over 25 years, she was the first woman to serve as a national officer of the union when she was appointed vice-President, in May 2010. She has represented workers in all areas of the economy, in both the public and private sectors. Patricia was a lead negotiator in both the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements. She played a leading role in the Irish Ferries dispute (2005/6) and in subsequent negotiations that saw an overhaul of employment rights law and the establishment of the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA). Patricia currently serves on the boards of the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) the Apprenticeship Council, Court Services Board and the Low Pay Commission.
Nana holds a Bachelor's Degree in Law from University College Dublin and an LL.M in International and Comparative Law from Trinity College Dublin. She is currently training at the Honorable Society of the King’s Inns to become a Barrister. Nana Nubi has professional experience in human resources and business development, she is currently the Project Officer for the United Nations International Decade for people of African Descent, Ireland (IDPAD Ireland). Nana Nubi has a history of working in human rights organisations such as Afro-Irish and Africa Centre Ireland. Between 2015–2019 she founded and ran The Alpha Project, a youth empowerment initiative. She is passionate about ensuring people of African descent maximize their potential.
Prof. Ciarán Ó Catháin is the President of Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT), a role he has held since 2000. He is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin and Dublin Institute of Technology and holds a Doctorate in Management from the University of Ulster. He is a visiting professor at the Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing and he also holds honorary professorships at both Beijing Union University and Beijing Information Science and Technology University. Professor Ó Catháin also holds honorary Doctorates in Management from University Malaysia Perlis and Management Science University in Kuala Lumpur. Prof. Ó Catháin has spent his career in numerous leadership roles across academia, tourism and sport at a local, national and regional level. He is former Chairman of Technological Higher Education Association, the representative body of all Institutes of Technology in Ireland and has previously served as Chair of the Council of Directors of the Institutes of Technology in 2002. Professor Ó Catháin presided over the instrumental development of the Institutes new Strategic Plan 2019 – 2023, which champions an agenda of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) among the institute’s students, staff and the wider community.
Shane O’Curry is the Director of INAR – the Irish Network Against Racism, a network of 104 civil society organisations working together to combat racism in all its forms in Ireland, and an active participant in the European Network Against Racism. Working with INAR members, Shane has co-developed the iReport.ie racist incident, hate crime and hate speech recording system and uses the information gathered to support media analysis, regular data reports on racist hate incidents, and the institutional responses to them. Working with INAR members, he has advocated for a Durban Declaration compliant National Action Plan Against Racism. He is a participant in the EU High Level Group on Hate Crime. In his role as director of INAR, Shane coordinates the Coalition Against Hate Crime Ireland (CAHC), an Inter-NGO alliance lobbying for Hate Crime Legislation in Ireland and he is also the co-author of Connecting on Hate Crime in Europe, Country Report for Ireland. He is an active member of a number of EU-wide partnerships linking civil society organisations, statutory bodies and intergovernmental organisations on practices and policies relating to hate crime and racism. Shane has made policy submissions addressing structural, cultural and institutional racism, to the Oireachtas, to ECRI and to the Department of justice as well as overseeing the consultation, development and presentation of the Civil Society Alternative Report to UN CERD in Geneva in December 2019.
Bashir Otukoya is a PhD student in the UCD Sutherland School of Law, and also in the UCD School of Politics & International Relations. He holds a BAL, an LLB, as well as an LLM in Public Law. His current research focuses on citizenship, in particular, exploring the politico-legal process of becoming an Irish citizen (by naturalisation), and its influence on the sociological idea of being Irish. Bashir is a member of the Irish Refugee Council and is experienced in advising migrants in politico-socio-economic integration matters. He is also an ex-board member of Dialogue & Diversity and has organised workshops and published reports on migrant integration. He is also a law Lecturer in Griffith College Dublin where he teaches European Union Law and, International Asylum and Immigration Law.
Linus (Boidu) Sayeh is 24 years old and originally from Monrovia Liberia. He moved to Ireland on his 8th birthday, and has lived in Westmeath for 16 years. He currently plays senior football with Westmeath and with his local club Rosemount. Mr Sayeh has spoken publicly about racism he has experienced both on and off the pitch. He has also highlighted the positive role sport can play in helping children feel like they belong in Ireland.
Eugenia Siapera is Professor and Head of the School of Information and Communication Studies at UCD, where is also the Director of the newly established UCD Centre for Digital Policy. Eugenia holds a BSc in Social Psychology and an MSc in Media and Communications both from the LSE and a PhD in Social and Political Sciences from the EUI (Florence). Before coming to Ireland in 2013, she had academic appointments in Italy, the Netherlands, UK and Greece. She has published in the areas of digital media and cultural diversity, digital journalism, digital inequalities, online hate speech, racism and misogyny. She has received research funding from the European Commission, the IRC, SFI, BAI and HERA.
Mincéirs Whiden, Cant for Travellers Talking, is Ireland's only all-Traveller forum, and was formed in 2004 with a focus on creating a safe space in which Travellers can come together to discuss issues affecting the community and to identify collective responses to them. Its mission is to promote the recognition and understanding of Irish Traveller culture and identity – based on equality and justice and working in solidarity with human rights groups and organisations. Mincéirs Whiden works towards the full participation and inclusion of Irish Travellers in all aspects of economic, social, cultural and political life in Ireland. Over the past number of years Mincéirs Whiden has focused on creating and awareness on the importance of political visibility for the Traveller community, and developed Traveller specific voter education and political awareness training. Their aim is to encourage and support the emergence of Traveller political representation from both within and external to the Traveller community.
Owen Patrick Ward is a native of Galway City and is a member of the Irish travelling community. He graduated from the National University of Ireland, Galway with a B.A. (Hons) and Masters in Post Primary education (PME). In addition, Owen is a Programme Coordinator at the Access Centre, NUI Galway, and is a Committee member of Údarás na hOllscoile (NUI Galway Governing Authority), and a member of the University of Sanctuary initiative, Places of Sanctuary Ireland, European Roma Rights Centre, as well as numerous Irish Traveller organisations. Owen has worked as an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion policy advisor to primary, post primary schools, and third level institutions (NUI Galway) in addition to advising the Council of Europe and Roma Youth. Owen has worked extensively with the Access Centre in partnership with numerous national and local educational, cultural, and community organisations. Owen also supports students, parents, and carers in an effort to increase participation in third level education. More recently Owen has been heavily involved with mentoring students from ethnic minority groups and those from lower socioeconomic disadvantaged backgrounds in the Attract Transition and Succeed Programme (ATS). In partnership with Traveller students, Owen co-founded ‘Mincéirs Whiden Society’ at NUI Galway, the first Traveller student society within a University in Ireland.