One-third of racist incidents reported last summer occurred outside the greater Dublin area and 10 per cent were in predominantly rural areas, Mr Joe McDonagh, chairman of "Know Racism", said in Galway last night.
The statistics proved that racism was a national issue and not one confined to Dublin, Mr McDonagh said. The former GAA president was in Galway for the first in a series of regional meetings to publicise the "Know Racism" campaign.
"Racism is a problem for all of us," Mr McDonagh said. "Today there are over 160 different nationalities living and working throughout Ireland. They have found homes in cities, towns and villages. Unfortunately for some, their experience of their new home is not always a pleasant one."
Mr McDonagh said Ireland was now a multi-cultural society. "We must accept the responsibilities and challenges that change brings to us. Irish people are traditionally generous, friendly and hospitable.
"It would be wrong to allow fear of strangers and intolerance to spoil this traditional spirit and change our attitudes towards the minority ethnic people who live among us."
He said schools, businesses, community and sporting organisations, the Garda S∅ochβna and public and social services had a responsibility to ensure that racism was not tolerated, and that racist behaviour was not allowed to fester. "We must all learn to recognise the value and opportunities that diversity brings to our villages, towns and cities," he added.
Asked about difficulties of assimilating, particularly in Gaeltacht areas, Mr McDonagh said the campaign offered an opportunity to highlight the value of our indigenous culture.
"I would like to view it as complementary," he said, while acknowledging the practical difficulties involved for an asylum-seeking family in a Gaeltacht area.
Some 1,195 asylum-seekers are being supported in the Western Health Board region, mostly in non-Gaeltacht areas. However, as the Irish Refugee Council's recent report highlighted, many families are living in cramped accommodation and are at risk of nutritional deficiencies and other health problems due to financial constraints.
"Know Racism" has been developed by the National Anti-Racism Awareness Programme, with funding of over £2 million allocated by the Government this year. The campaign has already earmarked £450,000 for local anti-racism awareness and education projects.
Mr McDonagh said many local rural communities were already responding positively to the problem of racism. Some 89 anti-racism projects funded in the first round of grants are located outside the greater Dublin area, while an additional 16 grants have been given to national groups based in Dublin.
