IRISH AMERICAN UNITY CONFERENCE BLASTS FLORIDA’S REPEAL OF ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW

Posted By: June 07, 2015

Irish American Unity Conference

PRESS RELEASE

IRISH AMERICAN UNITY CONFERENCE BLASTS FLORIDA’S REPEAL OF ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW

Washington, DC…June 4, 2015 – The Irish American Unity Conference has strongly condemned the Florida legislature’s repeal, with Governor Scott’s approval, of the MacBride Principles, which are designed to ensure fair employment in Northern Ireland.  The Florida statute endorsing these Principles, now repealed, specifically required the Florida State Board of Administration to determine the existence of affirmative action taken to eliminate the ethnic or religious discrimination practiced by the government of Northern Ireland, or its agencies, instrumentalities, or national corporations.

IAUC President Tom Burke responded by saying that “The MacBride Principles have been critical to eradicating anti-Catholic and other discriminatory employment practices in Northern Ireland, and, in the face of lingering discrimination, continue to be essential to ultimately achieving the goal of a truly equal society.  We condemn in the strongest terms Florida’s turning its back on such an important principle of equality.”

The IAUC joins with the Irish National Caucus in expressing its outrage at this anti-Catholic action, and calls on the Florida legislators to respond to the question posed to them by Father Sean McManus: “Were you aware that you were being complicit in an anti-Irish and anti-Catholic act in repealing the Mac Bride Principles legislation?”

The IAUC is a non-sectarian, non-profit human rights organization whose mission is to achieve peace and justice in a united Ireland.  For more information, please contact Thomas Burke tjburkejr@gmail.com, (720) 457-5855, or Peter Kissel at peterkissel@kisselaw.com, (202) 363-2834.

Peter C. Kissel

Chair, Human Rights

Irish American Unity Conference

5604 Utah Ave., N.W.

Washington, DC 20015

Cell: 202-262-4785