The Green Party will “certainly” seek to enact new hate speech legislation if they are part of the next government, according to party leader Roderic O’Gorman.
While the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Bill originally included plans to update Ireland’s hate speech laws and legislate for hate crime, the speech element was removed due to significant controversy surrounding its potential impact on freedom of speech. Consequently, the Bill passed the final stage of the Oireachtas with only the hate crime element included, and it has now gone to the President to be signed into law.
Speaking to reporters outside Leinster House in Dublin today, Minister O’Gorman was asked by Gript if he was “disappointed” with the fact that the hate speech element had been removed.
“The Green Party believes that the incitement to hatred legislation from 1989 isn’t fit for purpose anymore, and we would certainly look to see that revised and improved if we were part of the next government,” he replied.
He also said that his party was “pleased” that the bill had been passed in its hate crime form.
“The Green Party is pleased to see hate crimes have been legislated against,” he said.
“Last year, over 650 hate incidents took place. People who are members of minority communities were targeted because they were black, because they were travellers, or because they were from the LGBTI+ community. Now there’s a clear mechanism whereby the law can recognize that they were targeted, and that can be part of the punishment.”
O’Gorman’s comments follow similar remarks by senior Fine Gael figures such as Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Taoiseach Simon Harris, as well as Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, who have all said that it is their desire to see the hate speech bill return following the upcoming election.
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