The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland wishes to state its complete opposition to racism in all its forms following an alarming increase in press reports of racist incidents in Ireland recently.
The effects of discrimination and violence cannot be understated. As mental health experts, we recognise how traumatic it is for a person to be racially abused and made to feel unsafe in the place they live.
We want to acknowledge that the healthcare system in Ireland benefits enormously from workers from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities. There are 35,000 nurses employed here who trained outside the EU and are essential to our healthcare system.
These workers have reported feeling increasingly unsafe traveling to and from work. Many immigrant doctors have reported racial intimidation and harassment on their daily commute. Doctors who have lived here for over a decade say there has been a huge increase in abuse recently.
The College has psychiatry specialists and trainees from all over the world (55 countries) among our membership. These professionals are making invaluable contributions every day to the treatment of people with severe mental illness in Ireland.
We ensure issues related to culture and ethnicity are included across our training curriculum. We want our future specialists in psychiatry to be equipped to deliver mental healthcare that is culturally sensitive and we will continue to advocate for both patients and medical professionals.