Justice Minister Helen McEntee has told the Dáil that she “fundamentally believes” new hate speech laws must be passed after the upcoming General Election.
The Minister made the remarks while speaking in the Seanad yesterday evening, as the chamber debated amendments to the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022.
While the Bill originally intended to expand Ireland’s 1989 hate speech laws and legislate for “hate crime”, the hate speech element has been amended out of the Bill due to significant controversy and backlash, with critics arguing that it may impinge on freedom of speech.
However, commenting on the removal of the hate speech element from the law, Minister McEntee said: “I genuinely regret that this is where we are at now.”
She said that while a consensus was not able to be reached within this Dáil term, “The next Dáil and the next Seanad, whenever they come into being, will need to find a way forward because the 1989 Act needs to be updated.”
She added: “We can see that clearly, particularly in the changes we are experiencing in our society at the moment and the fact that a greater level of hatred is being displayed and communicated in every type of platform.”
The Minister went on to express her “fundamental” belief that Ireland’s hate speech laws need to be updated.
“I fundamentally believe we need to update our 1989 Act,” she said.
“I regret we are not doing it here and now, but I also fundamentally believe we need to have hate crime laws in place. We do not have them at the moment. We are the only country in Europe, and indeed probably the western world, that does not have hate crime legislation.”
These remarks constitute a doubling-down on comments made to Gript during Budget Week, when McEntee also made the same assertion.
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