Northern Ireland’s Communities Minister has said the Stormont Executive is working together closely following a recent spate of hate crime attacks.
Gordon Lyons said he welcomes the “united political leadership on this issue in Northern Ireland”, adding there is “never any justification for violence and it should not be tolerated”.
In the latest incident, bricks were thrown at a house in the Donegall Pass area of south Belfast. Police said they are investigating the attack as a racially motivated hate crime.
Mr Lyons said that while there is no “switch that government can flick” to stop racism and Islamophobia, they will tackle the issues.
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“What we’re determined to do is provide that leadership, to call out things that are clearly wrong, things that clearly shouldn’t be happening and making sure we are doing what we can to tackle the real issues that exist, and foster better community relations. We will not be found wanting in doing that,” he said.
“The Housing Executive do exceptional work in communities to try and improve those relations and will continue to do that.”
Mr Lyons was speaking after visiting Northern Ireland Housing Executive staff in Antrim.
He said he felt it was important to visit and support staff affected, adding he wanted to pay tribute to their “courage and commitment in the light of a rising number of hate crime attacks”.
“Over the last 12 months, 131 hate crime incidents have been reported, with 22 taking place in the first week in August,” he said.
“These target people who are entitled to live in safety and peace in their homes, and also housing staff who are simply doing their job.
“I commend our housing teams including those in the Housing Executive, Housing Associations and Supported People and Homelessness providers, who continue to support tenants, including children and the most vulnerable in our society, to keep them safe from harm despite coming under threat themselves.
“I want to say very clearly that this is wrong, there is no place for it in our society and that it needs to stop.”
Grainia Long, chief executive of the Housing Executive, said it had been valuable for both herself and Mr Lyons to hear from staff on the frontline.
“They come to work irrespective of what is happening in the local community – what we heard today was staff who are really resilient,” she said.