10th December 2002

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Northern Ireland should have a new Inter-Agency Forum to tackle racial inequalities and promote good race relations, according to a new Government report drawn up by University of Ulster academics.

The Forum, comprising representatives from relevant Government departments and agencies, non-departmental public bodies, voluntary agencies, minority ethnic communities and organisations, should be established to ensure a strategic approach to tackling racial inequality.

The report, Tackling Racial Inequalities in Northern Ireland: Structures and Strategies, is the fourth in a series examining racial problems in the province. It was written by Dr Paul Connolly, senior lecturer in sociology in the UU’s School of Sociology and Applied Social Studies, and Michaela Keenan.

Key findings of the report include:

• That Northern Ireland has entered a new and unprecedented phase with regard to race relations specifically in relation to the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 and Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
• There is now a substantial body of published research on the needs and experiences of minority ethnic people including: issues surrounding language; lack of awareness of existing services among minority ethnic people; the lack of appropriate and effective race relations training for staff working with minority ethnic people; and the relatively high levels of racial prejudice and harassment in Northern Ireland.
• That an effective race relations strategy should include: ethnic monitoring of the take-up and use of services; working in partnership with minority ethnic groups and organisations; and the promotion of good race relations by organisations.

In light of the findings of the report, the authors made the following recommendations:

• The establishment of minority ethnic units in government departments and agencies to oversee the provision of services to ethnic groups.
• The appointment of minority ethnic liaison officers in government departments and agencies to work directly with local ethnic groups.
• Race relations training for staff.
• Funding for ethnic organisations to help them build up a vibrant voluntary and community sector.
• The inclusion of material on minority cultures, including a specific focus on Travellers, in the Northern Ireland school curriculum.
• Initiatives by the NI Housing Executive, along with District Councils, to improve race relations among its tenants.

Dr Connolly said: “Ethnic minority groups face a number of problems in accessing services or obtaining assistance. They can range from language barriers to lack of special race relations training among the staff of government departments or agencies. There is also a tendency for services to overlook the specific religious and cultural needs of minority groups.

“We need to monitor the problems of the ethnic communities and how those problems are being addressed and we need to change the way we do things so that services become more accessible to minority groups. It is not simply enough to offer services; we need to promote them and to help the minority groups help themselves.

“Some very good work is already being undertaken. The PSNI, for example, has been very proactive in monitoring racially motivated incidents and helping victims. It is this sort of culture which the report is attempting to promote throughout the various public sectors in Northern Ireland”, Dr Connolly added.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk