Debate contribution: Race Relations Framework
Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on .
- MLA
- Ms Michelle O'Neill
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 22 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Race Relations Framework
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5638081
Read the official Assembly record
Text
There is not just one answer to it, as the Member knows. We need to come at it from every angle. That could be a policing response initially, for which additional funding was secured. I agree that this is the third year in a row in which we have had that type of racist behaviour on our streets. Likewise, I would describe it as a pogrom. We have to do things in the here and now to respond to what has happened, but we are also looking urgently at what we can do into the future. If we can predict that it will happen, which is a really uncomfortable thing to say, we have to do everything that we can. That is why, in the first instance, strong political condemnation was required. The PSNI obviously took the lead on the policing response, but the Executive met the racial equality subgroup. We met council hubs. We have continued our engagement with local leaders. We have reinstated the crisis fund and have released funding of £400,000 for the planned interventions programme, which is engaging 1,400 young people. In addition, as I referenced earlier, we have instructed officials to produce proposals for the immediate term and the longer term. We then have the work that we are doing on the framework, which I have just discussed. It will take a combination of all those things to weed out the racism that we see in our society.
243 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Awaiting analysis
This record has not been analysed yet. It is not counted in any total until it has been assessed.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reviews every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.