Oral Answers to Questions — The Executive Office – in the Northern Ireland Assembly am 2:15 pm ar 3 Mawrth 2025.
John Blair
Alliance
2:15,
3 Mawrth 2025
5. Mr Blair asked the First Minister and deputy First Minister when the Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 will be amended. (AQO 1634/22-27)
Aisling Reilly
Sinn Féin
We are committed to updating and strengthening racial equality law so that everyone can benefit from a fair and inclusive society. Following an extensive 12-week consultation on the review of the Race Relations Order, a report on the responses that included more than 50 potential changes was published last August. We intend to introduce the legislation in the Assembly as part of the 2025-26 legislative programme, which will move us a step closer to providing the best possible legal protection against racial discrimination and ensuring that everyone is valued and treated equally.
John Blair
Alliance
I thank the junior Minister for her answer. Given that incidents of race hate continue, as seen, sadly, in south Belfast at the weekend and, to a worrying extent, in my Constituency of South Antrim last summer, and given that the consultation was such a long time ago, may we have some detail today on what work has been done on drafting amendments?
Aisling Reilly
Sinn Féin
Thank you for your supplementary question. I think that we all agree that having a diverse society only enriches the cultural and economic life of absolutely everybody who calls here "home" and that we want a society in which people are protected and treated equally. Our officials have already started to engage with the minority ethnic sector to support and develop how we move forward on racial equality beyond 2025.
As I mentioned in my initial answer, we intend to introduce legislation in 2025-26. We have seen disgraceful behaviour in recent times and again at the weekend in south Belfast by those trying to instil fear in our communities. We utterly condemn the attacks and stand with those who were targeted. Tackling racism and racial inequality is a priority for us, as is making sure that there is legislation to protect people.
Carál Ní Chuilín
Sinn Féin
Will the Minister provide an update on the refugee integration strategy, please?
Aisling Reilly
Sinn Féin
Yes. I am delighted to say that the First Minister and the deputy First Minister have approved a refugee integration strategy and associated delivery framework that will be brought to the Executive next month for agreement.
Matthew O'Toole
Social Democratic and Labour Party
I am pleased, junior Minister, that there will be a refugee integration strategy. I acknowledge that as progress. The Programme for Government, however, contains, by my count, seven or eight words on tackling racism. After not just the violence that we saw last summer in Belfast but the attack at the weekend, people of colour deserve better than warm words. They deserve clarity and focus, a stand-alone hate crime Bill, the Order being updated — finally, after years — and a racial equality strategy. Why is the issue so absent from the Programme for Government?
Aisling Reilly
Sinn Féin
Let me start by reiterating that racism and hate have absolutely no place in our society. I mentioned the disgraceful behaviour during the summer and the behaviour that comes with that. It was absolutely disgraceful to see racist graffiti in south Belfast, but we will call that out at every opportunity. Work is being done. Our officials have started work on a review of the racist attacks here last summer, including why they happened, the response to them, who was involved and actions to prevent such attacks from happening again.
The Executive Office formed a cross-departmental working group, which it chairs. There is an application for an area-based education and myth-busting piece, which will potentially be funded under PEACE PLUS. That piece of work has been submitted. If it is successful, it will aim to build positive relations in our communities that, we hope, will address potential future incidents of racism.
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