O’Rourke refuses to apologise

SENATOR Mary O’Rourke last night refused to apologise for her contentious comments on blacks, but backed calls for a Government campaign to wipe out racist language in Irish society.

Despite her reluctance to say sorry for praising staff who "worked like blacks", the Seanad leader welcomed an initiative from multi-cultural watchdogs for a national awareness project to specifically target casual so-called "hate speech".

Ms O'Rourke insisted there was nothing wrong with her use of the controversial phrase after she won a place on Fianna Fail's Dáil ticket in Longford-Westmeath and the furore which greeted it was "political correctness gone wrong".

"The remark was complimentary, made to my workers and praising their hard work. I can't apologise for what was a comment to my workers," she insisted.

Residents Against Racism spokeswoman Rosanna Flynn said the phrase was most offensive and that an apology was in order.

"I can understand anyone making a gaffe but my God she should make an apology. She has offended a lot of people. Don't just wriggle out of having made a most offensive remark. What is not understandable is her not realising how offensive it is and not giving a full apology."

National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism director Philip Watt said the row could be used positively to open a national debate on the use of language which ethnic groups find offensive. "I would like to see an educational campaign funded showing the offence these phrases can cause and the need for them to be consigned to history," he said.

Mr Watt is particularly concerned about the casual use of the highly offensive word "nigger" in Ireland.

"We need to look at the way we speak and realise that what may have been acceptable a few years ago no longer is.

"We need to be more aware. Especially when it comes to a word such as the "N word" people still use that term quite a lot. You hear it quite often in the streets and it is extremely offensive," he said.

"I support the idea of a campaign to educate people on awareness of what's said," Senator O'Rourke said. "I have had 33 messages of support, some from black people, over this.

"I'm known as a big soft touch in Athlone for the work I do for refugees and I will continue to do that," she said.

The senator conceded her "working like blacks" comment may now belong to an Ireland of a different age.

The phrase drew audible gasps from some of the 500 people gathered at the selection convention on Sunday night.