In defence of her government’s hate speech bill, Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee has pointed to a series of “independently facilitated discussion workshops” carried out by her Department of Justice in 2019, which she says were positive.
“The development of this legislation is underpinned by an extensive public consultation and research process that began in 2019,” McEntee told Senators in June, adding that the government had conducted “seven independently facilitated discussion workshops around the country” regarding hate speech.
However, as revealed by the government’s own report on these meetings, virtually all of the workshops in question were facilitated and organised by government-funded NGOs engaged in advocacy – NGOs which were known to already support hate speech laws – and were overseen by self-described “activists.”
For example, one of the meetings, which was held on December 10th 2019, was organised by Pavee Point – a State-funded NGO and Traveller advocacy group which receives most of its money from the government annually. Pavee Point has been consistently campaigning for hate speech laws since as far back as 2014.
We spent time with @nycinews @BeLonG_To @NascIreland and @glenLGBT to campaign for an end to hate speech with @NoHateIreland #nohate
— Pavee Point (@PaveePoint) March 10, 2014
#hatespeech is unacceptable the laws need to change https://t.co/WRrmnxMBxJ
— Pavee Point (@PaveePoint) August 6, 2020
This meeting was “facilitated” by Denise Charlton – former CEO of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, which is another government-funded advocacy NGO. Charlton and the Immigrant Council have also mounted campaigns against “hate speech” since as far back as 2012.
Our efforts to combat hate speech on line http://t.co/5TuaCLG7
— Immigrant Council.ie (@immigrationIRL) October 8, 2012
Hate speech and racism has no place in Irish politics, @IrishTimes on our new initiative. http://t.co/RlEnlTRz68
— Immigrant Council.ie (@immigrationIRL) November 17, 2013
#ICCPR UN Committee seeking amendment of law on hate speech RT
— Immigrant Council.ie (@immigrationIRL) July 15, 2014
Charlton self-described as an “activist” the same year the workshops were taking place.
Very excited to be participating in this Convening as a mentor in their International Programme..look forward to working with fellow activists… https://t.co/b4Q5aOC7Vs
— denise charlton (@Denise_CFI) June 6, 2019
A few months later, she also praised an open letter drafted by a number of state-funded NGOs urging that there be “zero tolerance for hate speech in politics,” with Charlton calling it a “great initiative.”
Great initiative..Zero tolerance for hate speech in politics https://t.co/lSXvEETA59
— denise charlton (@Denise_CFI) January 25, 2020
Taking notes at this meeting was Feargha Ní Bhroin, who is on record as having said “The new Hate Speech legislation can’t come soon enough” and “I hope we soon have effective hate speech laws.”
The new Hate Speech legislstion can't come soon enough…
Prison Service attempts to get staff Facebook group removed over racist posts (via @IrishTimes) https://t.co/KLVwyF8iPF
— Feargha Ní Bhroin (@FearghaNB) February 24, 2021
I hope we soon have effective hate speech laws.
Real ones obvs. Not the makey-up, wtitten by Drew Harris ones (🤣🤣🤣) that you spread lies and misinformation about.
— Feargha Ní Bhroin (@FearghaNB) February 2, 2020
She also hit out at British Comedian Ricky Gervais around the time of the workshop, chastising his lack of understanding as a “”straight white male.”
As a straight white male you will never experience hate speech. Easy for you to support notional free speech. I support legislation to combat hate speech.
— Feargha Ní Bhroin (@FearghaNB) January 11, 2020
“As a straight white male you will never experience hate speech,” she said.
“Easy for you to support notional free speech. I support legislation to combat hate speech.”
On the 11th of December 2019, another one of the meetings was hosted by LGBT Ireland and was attended by Outhouse – two state-funded LGBTQIA+ advocacy NGOs. In 2021, LGBT Ireland took in at least €332,340 in State funding, which represented over 77% of their overall income. Outhouse also receives hundreds of thousands of euros in State grants annually.
Both of these organisations have prominently campaigned in favour of hate speech legislation.
Have you been a victim of Hate Speech? Public event this evening in Outhouse, Capel Street at 18.30 – 20.30.#LGBT #HateSpeech pic.twitter.com/jSzQDnxFtv
— Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre (@Outhouse_Dublin) December 11, 2019
Don't miss your chance to have a say on how legislation can protect Ireland's LGBT+ community! If you've been a victim of hate speech, come to our event 11 Dec, 6.30-8.30pm, which will feed into the Dept of Justice consultation on Hate Speech. RSVP to rachel@lgbt.ie pic.twitter.com/OQg9XKTEqO
— LGBT Ireland (@LGBT_ie) November 30, 2019
This meeting was similarly facilitated by Denise Charlton, who was mentioned previously, and also Dr. Grainne Healy. Healy self-describes as a “feminist activist” and has long campaigned on LGBTQIA+ issues.
Lovely to celebrate @NWCI at 50 in Aras with @PresidentIRL and Sabina – and all our feminist activist friends of decades – having fun
— Grainne Healy (@goggshealy) June 21, 2023
Delighted to have been invited to speak with other activists on campaigning at #ForsaSummerSeries https://t.co/mie4UXXyPy
— Grainne Healy (@goggshealy) June 23, 2020
Three members of the Department of Justice were also present.
Another meeting was held on the 26th of December 2019, and was organised by the Immigrant Council of Ireland, which, as mentioned previously, receives state funding and supports hate speech legislation. It was also facilitated by the aforementioned Denise Charlton, and attended by three Department of Justice officials.
Other meetings were hosted by groups like Monaghan Integrated Development. This organisation says its purpose is to “promote social inclusion, equality and diversity throughout all our programmes,” and it is funded by both the Irish government and the European Union. A similar meeting in Collins Barracks was overseen by Charlton, Healy, and Feargha Ní Bhroin, and was attended by “LGBTI+ and HIV activists.”
Virtually all of the government’s workshops during the “consultation process” were organised, overseen and attended by State-funded NGOs, Department officials, and self-described activists, almost all of whom are publicly on record as saying they support hate speech laws before the exercise began.
Gript previously reported how the vast majority of individual respondents to the government’s online public consultation on hate speech laws were negative.
GRIPT EXCLUSIVE: The Irish government is driving ahead with the proposed hate speech bill, even after more than 73% of responses to their public consultation expressed negative views about the idea.#gripthttps://t.co/rcKnzWZ954
— gript (@griptmedia) May 3, 2023
When asked why the result of this consultation was ignored, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar defended disregarding the results, arguing that “very often” such consultations are hijacked by “campaigning groups” and are not “reflective of public opinion.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar defends disregarding the results of the public consultation on "hate speech" laws, arguing that "very often" such consultations are hijacked by "campaigning groups" and are not "reflective of public opinion."#gript pic.twitter.com/X6EC0uF6NO
— gript (@griptmedia) May 4, 2023
Gript further asked Justice Minister Helen McEntee to provide evidence that there is demand for her legislation.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee says that "the vast majority of people" want hate speech laws.#gript pic.twitter.com/BZy6MBgKLp
— gript (@griptmedia) June 14, 2023
This publication also questioned McEntee’s claim that some strands of her public consultation were positive, in an op-ed which can be viewed below.
BEN SCALLAN: Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee says that some consultations on hate speech were positive. But one of these featured 10 politicians, many of which are from her government, & another featured a small group of state-funded NGOs.#gripthttps://t.co/KVfvZTF4PX
— gript (@griptmedia) June 26, 2023