The judiciary should undergo anti-racism awareness training to help prevent the recurrence of recent offensive remarks about immigrants by judges, a Government advisory body on interculturalism has said.
The National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI) says it will approach the judiciary to offer assistance in this area, beginning with training for judges.
The committee has delivered anti-racism awareness training to more than 150 organisations including the gardaí, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Irish Prison Service.
Its acting director, Mr Kensika Monshengwo, said judicial training needed to be prioritised in the wake of remarks made by two District Court judges, Mr Harvey Kenny and Mr John Neilan, about immigrants.
Judge Kenny in Co Mayo had suggested that all Nigerians drove without insurance while Judge Neilan said "coloured" people would be banned from shopping centres in Longford if they did not stop shoplifting.
Both judges came in for intense criticism for their remarks and subsequently made public apologies last month.
Mr Monshengwo welcomed the apologies for "sending a very good message to people that this is the sort of behaviour that judges shouldn't be engaged in.
"To prevent these kinds of judicial remarks from recurring we would welcome anti-racism training for the judiciary, especially because of the demographic changes in society.
"They are not dealing with the same groups of people they have traditionally dealt with," he added.
Mr Monshengwo made his comments following the publication yesterday by the NCCRI of practical guidelines for statutory and non-statutory organisations to address racism and support interculturalism, including developing good practice and drawing up equality action plans.
The guidelines' "whole organisation approach" included the ethos of an organisation, the conditions in the workplace and service provision.
Mr Monshengwo urged all organisations to mark International Day Against Racism next week by taking up anti-racism training and adopting the recommended actions in the guidelines.
Statutory bodies, Government departments, the media and the judiciary were among the organisations that should prioritise such work, he added.
He highlighted a series of reports in yesterday's Irish Mirror newspaper which had a front-page headline "Refugee: The Truth".
If the newspaper had an anti-racism policy, it would "think twice" about the impact of such reports.
Mr Monshengwo said the committee "will approach the judiciary to see how we can work in partnership to put in place a whole organisation approach, starting with training".
Immigrants could really contribute to Irish society, he said, adding that St Patrick was an immigrant and the country will in the coming days celebrate him as a symbol of Irishness.