A new independent Anti-Racism Committee, set up to draw up a new action plan against racism for Ireland, held its first meeting yesterday (18 June).

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, and the Minister of State with responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration, David Stanton, addressed the inaugural meeting of the committee and pledged government support for its work.

Interim report

Caroline Fennell, Professor of Law at University College Cork, and Commissioner with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, had already been named as chair. 15 other members, including Westmeath Gaelic footballer Linus (Boidu) Sayeh, have now been named.

In three months, the committee is due to produce an interim report to government identifying priority issues and a programme of work. It is expected to take around a year to complete its work on the action plan.

The group will review the current evidence on racial discrimination in Ireland and look at best international practice on measures to combat racism.

Members

The members of the committee are:

• accredited mediator Shamsun Nahar Chowdhury
• Meadhbh Costello of IBEC
• Anastasia Crickley (pictured), the co-founder of the Migrants Right Centre Ireland
• Wexford County Council chief executive Tom Enright
• Human Rights defender and Council of State member Dr Sindy Joyce
• journalist and author Úna-Minh Kavanagh
• ICTU general secretary Patricia King
• human rights worker and trainee barrister Nana Nubi
• Athlone IT president Professor Ciarán Ó Catháin
• Irish Network Against Racism director Shane O’Curry
• Irish Refugee Council member Bashir Otukoya
• Westmeath Gaelic footballer Linus (Boidu) Sayeh
• Eugenia Siapera, Professor and Head of the School of Information and Communication Studies at UCD
• Margot Slattery, global chief diversity and inclusion officer at the Sodexo Group
• Owen Ward, programme coordinator at NUI Galway’s Access Centre and a member of many Irish Traveller organisations.