We need to acknowledge our structural problem with racism
Families remember their loved ones who died in the Carrickmines fire tragedy at a Mass in the Church of Holy Redeemer, Bray. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins
This week, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), the organisation I lead, will release two publications. Both challenge the most persistent misconceptions about racism in Ireland, that it is rare, recent, or the work of a few individuals or groups.
One is our (second) Review of Section 19 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, which shows how Travellers are systematically discriminated against in law and in practice in public houses and other places.
The second is our Employers’ Guide to Inclusive Employment for Traveller and Roma People, which serves to advise employers on how best to work in partnership with Traveller and Roma communities so we can build fairer, more representative and more prosperous workplaces.
And here, unfortunately, is where many people will stop reading.
Because how we treat Traveller and Roma people isn’t considered systemic racism in many quarters. It’s just accepted as life in Ireland.
In recent years, our very small Roma community has also suffered from racism and discrimination. For those communities, the promise of equality under Irish law often feels beyond their reach. Basic protections, in housing, education, healthcare, and access to public services, are frequently undermined in practice.
A December 2024 ESRI report highlighted high levels of both prejudice and disadvantage against Traveller and Roma communities, saying: “Travellers and Roma stand out as the groups that people in Ireland are least comfortable within three areas of their lives”.
Our research on the experience of discrimination in pubs and licensed premises makes clear that this is not simply the result of personal prejudice, but of structures and systems that reproduce inequality over time.
It should concern us that such patterns persist in a country that frequently cites its commitment to human rights and social inclusion. But our work identifies the mechanisms behind this persistence — administrative neglect, policy blind spots, and cultural stereotypes that shape decisions and attitudes.
And of course, discrimination against Travellers is not confined to access to goods and service. Ten years have passed since the tragedy of the Carrickmines fire, which exposed deep failures in how the State engages with Traveller families, and little has changed.
Then, 10 people, including a 10-month-old baby, died in a fire — the tragedy highlighting systemic discrimination and the need for habitable living conditions for the Traveller community.
Over the past year, Ireland has engaged with several international human rights mechanisms of relevance to Traveller and Roma rights. IHREC has contributed extensively to these processes, setting out a range of practical measures our Government needs to take to address these issues, for instance, stronger anti-discrimination enforcement, reliable hate-crime monitoring, culturally appropriate housing policy, equal access to schooling, and robust Garda oversight.
In addition, our second publication this week is a guide that provides practical steps for employers to create safe, respectful and supportive workplaces for all. It sets out measures including cultural competency and anti-racism training, clear reporting procedures, job-coaching supports, mentoring, induction and progression pathways.
These recommendations are neither radical nor unachievable. But they do require clear timelines, resources, leadership and accountability.
These attitudes are increasingly permeating the public domain through harassment, protests, arson attacks, and hate speech, on and offline.
It is sheer luck there were no fatalities last week in Drogheda, where one adult and four children, one 20 days old and one 17 months old, were rescued from the top floor of a burning building. This followed the terrifying intimidation of families at Citywest.
There have been more than 20 such attacks on Ipas properties since 2018, and an ever-growing increase in racist attacks on individuals, many involving violence.
Of course, political leaders have a particular responsibility in shaping how the country responds to discrimination and inequality — whoever that discrimination applies to. In recent years, the temptation to frame issues affecting Traveller or Roma communities as “law and order” matters or as questions of “cultural difference” has become more visible.
Such framing narrows the discussion and avoids acknowledging deeper institutional causes. Similarly, framing overt racist attacks on asylum seekers and migrants as an inevitable result of “legitimate concerns” follows that same playbook.
Short-term political advantage should not come at the expense of individuals and communities who already experience disadvantage.
We have many historical examples of politicians using anti-Traveller prejudice for political gain, and increasingly we are seeing this cynical approach adopted in relation to our international obligations to people seeking asylum here, as well as to our working migrants who are so badly needed in our hospitals, care institutions, building sites, tech, hospitality and other areas.
Ultimately, prejudice and racism are problems in every society, and as we see with the historical treatment of Travellers, they can very deep roots. Addressing these structural problems is slow and complex work, but it begins with acknowledging the problem in full.
- Liam Herrick is chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission
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