A new national LGBTQ+ action plan released today appears to commit the Government to enacting new hate crime and hate speech legislation, referring throughout the document to actions that will take place “when” such legislation is passed.
The Action Plan 2025-2026 accompanying the publication of the new National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy II lists a number of “actions” to be taken under different pillars by Government departments and/or State agencies, a number of which appear to be predicated upon the enactment of new hate legislation.
Under Pillar 1: Safety, one of the actions listed involves increasing awareness of complaints mechanisms to report hate crimes and hate related incidents, “including crimes that fall under the hate crime/hate speech legislation (when in place)”.
Similarly, under Pillar 1, the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána are tasked with improving supports for LGBTIQ+ victims of hate crimes.
To that end, gardaí are also to undergo mandatory hate crime training, as well as training on Cultural
Awareness.
One of the key performance indicators, or “deliverables” for that action states that “upon enactment of hate crime legislation” [italics added], a public information campaign around the legislation will be developed and delivered.
Under Pillar 4: Equality and Non-Discrimination, a number of Government departments are designated responsible for Action 39: “Enact legislation to protect LGBTIQ+ people from discrimination, harm, and hatred.”
The Department of Justice is here tasked with ensuring that legislation to ensure that incitement to hatred and hate crimes against LGBTIQ+ people are adequately addressed is “enacted and commenced”.
The strategy itself additionally states that it aims to ensure enforcement mechanisms are in place to “make hate crime/hate speech laws effective”.
The strategy states that Government feels that these measures are an “increasingly important undertaking”, given growing “push-back on the advancement of LGBTIQ+ equality globally”.
The Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 came into effect December 31, 2024, after it was largely stripped of its contentious hate speech components, focusing instead on hate crime legislation.
In May this year, the European Commission warned Ireland that it was failing to sufficiently address hate-based crimes and speech, before stating that Ireland had two months to “respond and take the necessary measures” or risk being referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin subsequently told Gript that he has not picked up on “huge pressure” from the European Union in relation to introducing more stringent hate legislation.