Indian community “does not feel safe in Ireland” says O’Gorman

The Green Party has called on the government to implement stricter anti-racism laws, and called on the government to address the issue.

Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has called on the Minister for Justice to speed up the implementation of measures set out in the National Action Plan Against Racism, which was published in 2023.

“The very first Objective of the National Action Plan Against Racism is called “Being Safe – Being Heard”. Right now, our Indian Community, our South East Asian Community, do not feel safe. They feel explicitly targeted by hate, both online and through physical attacks”.

“To respond, the Minister for Justice needs to bring forward the implementation of key goals in the National Action Plan Against Racism. This means putting in place new mechanisms to facilitate third-party and online reporting of racist incidents. The Minister also needs to ensure that there is a specialist unit within each Garda Division charged with dealing with hate crime and racist incidents”, concluded O’Gorman.

Councillor Lourda Scott, who serves as the party spokesperson on equality, said “the recent spate of racist attacks in Ireland is deeply alarming and demands a much stronger response from the state.”

“In just the past week, there have been five reported racially motivated attacks on people of Indian heritage. These include the horrific assault on a man in Tallaght and, most distressingly, an attack on a six-year-old girl in Waterford. This kind of violence is completely unacceptable. People, including children, are being targeted because of their race. That should shock every one of us.”

Scott said the attacks are not isolated incidents, and reflects a wider pattern of hate and intimidation that communities have been highlighting for some time.

“The reports coming from advocacy groups and community leaders point to a rise in racist harassment and assaults, especially in the Dublin area. That the Indian Embassy has felt it necessary to issue a safety advisory to its citizens living here should be a wake-up call. It’s a clear signal that people no longer feel safe.”

“If children cannot play on the streets without fear of racial or physical attacks, it becomes an issue for everyone, not just a specific community.”

Scott backed the call by the Ireland-India Council for a dedicated, cross-departmental taskforce to tackle racist violence.

“I support that call wholeheartedly. We need a coordinated, national response that goes beyond case by case investigation. This taskforce must have a clear mandate to respond rapidly to hate-based incidents, ensure full enforcement of existing hate crime laws, and provide support and protection to victims and their communities.”