Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said there is “too much incitement to hate going on in our country” as questions continue over whether the Government plans to reform Ireland’s hate speech laws.
Speaking to Gript outside Government Buildings on Tuesday ahead of the weekly Cabinet meeting, the Fianna Fáil leader said the issue “matters” and warned that incitement can “lead to violence.”
“There’s too much incitement to hate going on in our country,” he said.
“That can in itself lead to very bad behaviour, can lead to violence against people because of their sexual orientation or because of their race.”
Martin made the remarks when asked to clarify comments he made last month to a Government-funded LGBT NGO, during which he appeared to contradict the official Government line to the European Commission.
In the video, posted to Fianna Fáil’s YouTube page ahead of the Dublin Pride march, Martin told the National LGBT Federation that the Government was still “committed” to updating Ireland’s hate speech legislation, and said he intended to follow up with the Justice Minister on the matter.
“I’m going to follow this up with the Minister for Justice, yeah,” he said at the time.
Asked this week by Gript to clarify the Government’s position, Martin said the Minister’s view was that existing laws were sufficient.
“The minister is saying we are already in compliance,” he said.
“In my interview I said we want to be in compliance. And the minister is of a view now that the ‘89 Act and the measures we took last year are such that we are in compliance.”
Martin added that the Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 had been underestimated in public debate, but also criticised how the debate over hate speech reform was conducted.
“I did say during that interview as well that I think the 1989 Act was underestimated in the consideration of all of this,” he said.
“But I would equally say, though, you know, the way that that entire debate was conducted left a lot to be desired as well.”
He continued by calling for a more mature debate.
“We should be intolerant of any such attempts to incite such hatred and violence,” he said.
“We’ve all witnessed it now on social media in different contexts. So, you know, we should be in a position to have a mature debate about this as opposed to just labelling people in different boxes.”
During last month’s interview, Martin also said that the 1989 Act was “very far-seeing” for its time, but admitted that “online and so on…needs modernisation.”
The Government has recently told the European Commission that Ireland considers itself compliant with EU standards on hate crime and speech, and does not intend to update its legislation further at this time.
However, the National LGBTIQ+ Inclusion Strategy II, launched by the Department of Children and Equality last month, contains a specific commitment to update the 1989 Act.
Under the strategy’s “Safety” pillar, Gardaí are also expected to undergo “mandatory hate crime and cultural awareness training” and prepare public campaigns on hate crime law “upon enactment of hate crime legislation.”
In May, the European Commission warned Ireland that it was not doing enough to address hate crime and hate speech, and gave the Government two months to respond or face possible referral to the European Court of Justice.
The previous hate speech bill was dropped last year after sustained public criticism. The Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act ultimately passed without the speech provisions, focusing solely on hate crime.
One Government Minister, speaking anonymously to Gript last week, criticised the renewed focus on hate speech law reform.
“Stick to the Programme for Government and focus on things that really matter to people,” the Minister said.
“Not trying to make laws that infringe on our civil liberties and ultimately making life impossible for Gardaí.”
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