Simon Harris meeting members of Indian community today after 'horrific attacks'
The meeting will be held at Government Buildings and will also be attended by the minister with responsibility for Migration, Colm Brophy.
The issue has been highlighted after an Indian man was the
victim of an unprovoked attack
in Tallaght, Dublin, last month.
A silent vigil was held outside the Department of Justice by Friends of India in response.
The Indian embassy in Dublin has also issued a warning that there has been 'an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently'.
The embassy said it was in contact with Irish authorities about the matter.
There was also an
attack on a six-year-old girl in Waterford
, which the Tánaiste said particularly sticks in his mind.
Anupa Achuthan, the girl's mother, told
The Journal
that the attack happened on in front of the family's home.
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She says that a group of boys who appeared to be aged 11-13 physcially attacked her daughter Nia, by hitting her with a bicycle in her 'genital area' and punching her in the face.
Anupa said that her daughter and friends of her daughter, who witnessed the alleged attack, said that the teenagers told Nia to 'go back to India' and used abusive language.
At the meeting today, Simon Harris will express his absolute horror and disgust at the recent attacks.
His information is that some of these attacks appear to be racially motivated and cannot be allowed to continue.
He will also point to the huge contribution made by members of the Indian community in Ireland, and will cite in particular their key role in our health system.
There are approximately 80,000 Indian people living in Ireland.
The Tánaiste said yesterday: 'This is a good country. This is a country of 'cead mile failte'.
'This is a country that recognises the incredible value that the Indian community have made. It's a country that abhors racism, and we must continue to call it out.
'I think one of the most concerning things we've seen is the very young age of those that have been involved in some of this racist activity.'
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