title: Strategies to surmount the potential barriers to providing anti-discriminatory care in Irish healthcare settings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article aims to explore some of the potential Irish specific barriers to providing anti-discriminatory care to non-Irish nationals in health and social care settings and considers strategies to overcome them.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  There has been a rapid and unprecedented increase in the ethnic and cultural diversity of the population in Ireland over the past 10 years. This brings with it both opportunities and challenges. The challenges that are particularly poignant include Irish nationals adapting to a multicultural society and integrating migrants into mainstream society. Historically, Ireland's relative homogeneity as a nation has been reflected in their health services, suggesting the need for an approach that addresses the more diverse needs of their growing multicultural population.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing awareness in the Irish health care setting of the complexity of working transculturally is important to interrogate the concept of privilege and the presence of racist practices. Unless practitioners are consciously aware of the personal, social and professional values that inform their attitudes and practices, their ability to be culturally competent will be at best superficial. The need to challenge attitudes, deep rooted social behaviour and misinformation which underline racial hostility is essential. Attention should focus on creating an environment of trust where critical reflection occurs, blame is avoided, risk managed and new ideas developed, tested and evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Markey
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tilki
authors.forename: Georgina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005006:Ethnicity; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D011287:Prejudice