It is important that Ireland's reputation for being a warm and welcoming place is not undermined or tarnished by racism, the Minister for Justice has said.
Speaking on the publication of the National Action Plan Against Racism, Mr McDowell noted the "remarkable changes" Ireland has undergone in the last number of years.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell
"It is reflected in your businesses, in the diversity of your workplaces and in your customer base also," he told business people at a breakfast in Dublin.
Mr McDowell said CSO statistics showed Ireland's non-Irish population makes up about 6 per cent of the population.
"This figure is predicted to grow considerably in the next decade. People are being attracted to Ireland in great numbers, and some estimates are that by the year 2030 our foreign national population could be almost one million, or 18 per cent of the total," the Minister added.
"All this change requires readjustments and reassessments on all our parts. This isn't always easy, particularly when the pace of change has been so fast."
Mr McDowell said managing diversity recognised that people from different backgrounds can bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the workplace.
"Ireland has an international reputation of being a warm and welcoming place to visit and live. It is important that racism is not allowed to undermine or tarnish this reputation. People should be valued as individuals for reasons related to business interests as much as for moral, social or legal reasons.
"I am confident that Irish society will find its own way and its own expression of diversity and that the corporate sector will play an important role in this," he said.
Mr McDowell said the national anti-racism plan was "huge in scale and ambition". A key element in it is Anti-Racist Workplace Week organised by the Equality Authority, which takes place next month.