Ireland has embarked on major legislative change where racism is concerned in recent years. The Employment Equality Act and the Equal Status Act, for example, prohibit discrimination on nine specific grounds, including that of ethnic origin, in the provision of employment and services, respectively. In addition, we are currently reviewing the Incitement to Hatred Act which, I accept, is not operating effectively as there has been only one prosecution under it. However, we have also established a Human Rights Commission and we are in the process of incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights into Irish Law. All these measures enabled us to ratify for the first time in our history the 1965 convention against racism and that was a very welcome development in recent times.
I said in South Africa, and I repeat now, that I will do everything I possibly can, as will the Government, to ensure racism does not take up its ugly root in this jurisdiction. That is not to say there is not a tendency to racism among some people, but I contend they are in a minority. In this context, in February of this year, I set up a high level steering group under Mr. Joe McDonagh, the former president of the GAA, and requested that he bring forward implementation plans in respect of the aims and objectives set out by the committee dealing with interculturalism and racism. On 24 October, I hope to launch that plan. In May of this year, we announced some initiatives. The comprehensive plan, which will cost £4.5 million over a three year period, will be launched on 24 October and it will address the racism issue in the context of communications, media, education, political parties and so on. I am confident it will be successful.
The report of Amnesty International to which Deputy Fitzgerald referred is being examined in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and by the Garda Síochána. In this respect, I assure the Deputy that the steps which have been taken to date have been a major advance on anything that occurred before and we are progressing with the implementation of the public awareness programme which will be a success.