One in four college students say people from ethnic minority groups abuse the social benefits system, an all-Ireland survey issued today shows.
More than 80 per cent of students said authorities should make efforts to improve the situation of minority groups, while 16 per cent said these people were more often engaged in criminality than average.
The study of 500 third-level students for the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) is the first major analysis of their opinions on racism and minority ethnic groups, and exposes a more negative attitude towards Travellers than other minorities.
While only 6 per cent of students said they would not find it difficult to accept a sibling marrying a person from a minority ethnic group of a similar background, 39 per cent said they would find it difficult if the person was a Traveller.
USI's equality officer, Mr Rory McDaid, said these findings raised serious questions about students' attitudes to Travellers. "Racism in Ireland is not a new phenomenon, and such attitudes are not reserved for people of a different skin colour," he said.
"The Department of Education and all education providers must develop inclusive curricula and a teacher-training system that adequately prepares educators to deliver this message into classrooms and lecture theatres."
More than half the students said they had some or many friends from minority communities, while 41 per cent did not. Some 94 per cent said it was good for a society to be made up of people from different races, religions and cultures.
A quarter of students said people from minorities abused the social welfare system, while 39 per cent disagreed and 36 per cent did not know. Excluding the don't-knows, almost 40 per cent of those who expressed an opinion either way agreed that such abuse occurred.
Some 16 per cent agreed that ethnic minority groups were involved in criminality more than average, with 54 per cent disagreeing and 30 per cent saying they did not know. With the don't-knows removed, 23 per cent agreed and 77 per cent disagreed.
Just over one in five students said all illegal immigrants should be sent back to their country of origin without exception, while 61 per cent disagreed with this and 18 per cent did not know. On whether the right to asylum in Ireland should be easier to obtain, 31 per cent agreed, 34 per cent disagreed and 35 per cent said they did not know.
USI's president, Mr Julian de Spainn, said the results showed that students in Ireland generally accepted diversity. "However, there are worrying signs that lack of education and hysteria generated around the issue of asylum-seekers and refugees have influenced students' opinions," he said.
The survey results are published today as part of USI's Recognising Racism, Campus Challenge project which aims to challenge students' perceptions of ethnic diversity and highlight the benefits of multiculturalism on campus.