Integration in Dublin - Informing Strategies at Time Of Recession

This report was compiled by Maria Hegarty on behalf of NCP and DEP through a process of research, interviews and workshops. Representative groups from new communities, employers and service providers in several parts of Dublin were brought together to tease out the key integration issues facing our new communities.

The report focuses on the areas of housing, education, employment and enterprise. This focus enabled the research to be very precise in identifying the key issues and the steps that might be taken to remedy them.

The report highlights the additional barriers which people from new communities face in integrating into Irish society. It also points to existing research in these areas and to the steps which should be undertaken by service providers, employers and local authorities in seeking to minimise these barriers. It also identifies the areas of knowledge that require more in-depth research.

While the barriers facing our new communities are sometimes very considerable, this report shows that sensible and timely moves to deal with the excessive obstacles put in people's way can and must be undertaken.

We would like to thank Maria Hegarty for facilitating this process and drawing this report together from its outcomes. We would also like to express our sincere thanks to all of those, from the new communities, service providers and employers, who participated so whole-heartedly in the research process. It was they who articulated and teased out what were the key issues and enabled this report to be completed.

The report identifies the key issues precisely and clearly, thus establishing a baseline for local authorities and service providers to begin to address the issues raised. We note that many public authorities in Dublin have adopted progressive framework policies that prioritise the integration of new communities. This report should assist them to flesh out the practical steps they now need to undertake to make those strategies more meaningful and effective.

DEP and NCP intend to follow up this report with a series of further actions, including further research, that seek to better the integration strategies of local authorities and public service providers in the Dublin region.