A COUNCIL has been criticised for labelling the Irish as a separate race from the rest of the white world.

An equal opportunites form issued by Aberdeen City Council for employment monitoring purposes is the problem.

In the section for ethnic group, applicants are asked to tick the box which bests describes them.

Along with boxes for Indian, Black-African, Caribbean, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Chinese, are two separate boxes for ''white'' and ''Irish''.

Tory Councillor Jill Wisely said: ''This really is a case of political correctness gone mad.

''I would hope people make some flippant point like writing in that they are 'Scottish' or 'English' instead of white, because this is really quite outrageous.

''I also wonder whether Irish people might find it insulting that they are being categorised in this way.

''They do put the most extraordinary things on these forms. They may have the best of intentions, but they go way over the top.''

A council official said the question reflected the fact that, historically, Irish families coming to Britain seeking jobs were often discriminated against.

She went on: ''It is because Irish people are perceived as a minority community within the British mainland. In decades gone by there were even signs put out by employers saying they wouldn't hire Irish people.

''I think the Irish have particular problems about other people's perceptions of them when they are outwith their local environment.''

She said the council's personnel department had taken advice from the Commission for Racial Equality and Cosla when drafting the question.

Martin Verity, of the Commission for Racial Equality, insisted the question was justified. He said: ''We are not trying to say that the Irish are not white.

''The reason for it is quite simply that research has shown that there is considerable discrimination against the Irish community in Britain. The question is not demeaning in any way, in our view.

''The form deals with things like colour, ethnicity, and nationality. It can be very difficult to find a logical format that incorporates all of these things.

''If anybody was to feel they wanted to put down 'Scottish' instead of 'white' then they could write that in the box provided.''