The Green Party leader has used the N-word in the Dáil chamber while discussing racism in Ireland

Eamon Ryan used the word while calling for the outrage over the killing of George Floyd to be directed towards efforts to counter racism in Ireland.

He has since apologised for using the word – noting that it was completely wrong to do so and that it should never be used.

I made a speech in the Dáil today about the scourge of racism in our society. In quoting from an article I read this morning, I repeated a racial slur, and I was completely wrong to do so. I want to apologise for any hurt caused. I know this particular word should never be used.

— Eamon Ryan (@EamonRyan) June 11, 2020

In his speech, the Dublin Bay South TD set out four main ways the Government could begin to tackle racism in Ireland:

• More diversity among teachers
• More diversity among Gardaí
• An end to Direct Provision
• Increased efforts to tackle racism online.

Warning that one-in-ten of Ireland’s children come from “non-Irish or new-Irish backgrounds” while only one-in-twenty teachers do, he called for a commitment to ensure Ireland’s “education system is fully integrated.”

“We don’t have such segregations and separation as we start off in life within our school system – is that not one thing we could commit to try and do?” he said.

“It was interesting, and again in a newspaper today, there was a young Irishman who was giving his experience of being othered. Being given that name - ‘you ******.’ He explained how this completely undermines people.

“Friends and relations of colour in this country, in addition to Travellers and other minorities, speak of the same experience. It is real.”

On The Hard Shoulder this evening, Fianna Fáil health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly said Deputy Ryan's use of the word was “ill-considered” – but noted that he was “speaking out against racism” at the time.

“I think it was very ill-considered thing for Eamon to do,” he said. “I would say he knew that as soon as he did it and he has publicly apologised for it.

“We don’t want that kind of language anywhere – under Dáil privilege or anywhere else in our society.

“So, let’s take that a given – he made an error and he immediately apologised for it.”

File photo of Stephen Donnelly. Picture by: Brian Lawless/PA Archive/PA Images

A number of Green Party councillors have issued statements condemning Deputy Ryan this afternoon.

Councillor Daniel Whooley said no parliamentarian who invokes such words should lead an Irish political party.

Councillor Peter Kavanagh welcomed the apology, but said the Green Party can't just draw a line under the issue and move on as though nothing happened.

My statement on Eamon Ryan's comments in Dáil Éireann this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/WZZLBYl1SQ

— Cllr. Daniel Whooley ♻️ (@DanielWhooley) June 11, 2020

Just don’t say it

— Saoirse McHugh (@saoirse_mchugh) June 11, 2020

Deputy Ryan said only one-in-200 garda members are from ethnic Irish backgrounds and said the Government must commit to ensuring that “our society does not continue to fall foul of the lack of security for all people in the country.”

Turning to Direct Provision, he said Ireland’s asylum process fundamentally undermines the health and wellbeing of those that come here seeking protection.

“If people are seeking asylum or refuge here, we must immediately end the processes where we put those people into direct provision conditions that fundamentally undermines their mental health and ability to make this country their home, if they are approved to stay here,” he said.

“The way we are doing things fundamentally undermines their health, so it must stop and change.”

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan arrives for Government formation talks, 07-03-2020. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews

He said the management of racism and extremism online is “probably the most complex” issue that needs to be dealt with.

Noting that Ireland is the EMEA headquarters for many of the world’s top technology companies, he said the Government has a duty to ensure they “have duty of care stitched into their business models.”

“It is not possible to police every online communication on every social media network but the business models, regulatory systems, ethos and ethics, along with rules and punitive measures, should be in place to ensure we do not see what has been a characteristic of these online platforms, which is division and derision, becoming acceptable in our daily lives,” he said.

He said the best way to tackle racism is to ensure as fair a distribution of wealth as possible and to put the needed supports in place for disadvantaged communities.

“In doing so, we will remove the scourge of 'othering' and creating a basic divergence that facilitates the racism that exists in our country,” he said.

“Let us not pretend racism does not exist here.  It is our job to try to help remove it.”