Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 November 2023
318. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice the number of antisemitic offences committed against Jewish people in the State in each year from 2016 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49399/23]
View answer319. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice the number of hate offences committed against Muslim people in the State in each year from 2016 to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49400/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 319 together.
The Government is fully committed to the fight against racism, prejudice and bigotry, and strongly condemns the actions of those who abuse and attack others because of their own prejudices against a person’s religion, ethnic origins, sexual orientation or any other part of their identity as a human being. Ireland is a diverse and tolerant country, and such behaviour is not acceptable.
There are no specific hate offences currently on the statute book. At present, an offence with a hate motive is prosecuted as an ordinary offence and the hate element may be taken into account by a Court at sentencing. An Garda Síochána record any hate motive during the investigation of an offence or incident.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that in October 2020, a new approach to the recording of hate related discriminatory motives was introduced by An Garda Síochána. Since then, it is possible to record a hate discriminatory motive on both crime and non-crime incidents on PULSE. The hate discriminatory motives are recorded on any incidents which are perceived by the victim or any other person to, in whole or in part, be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on actual or perceived age, disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender (including gender identity). The calendar year 2021 was the first under the new recording approach for all these hate related incidents.
Hate Crime annual statistics for 2022 and 2021 are available at this location: www.garda.ie/en/information-centre/statistics/
The Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 will create new hate crime offences for the first time in Ireland.
The Bill creates new hate offences as aggravated forms of existing offences, for example: “assault aggravated by hatred”. This will allow a court to impose a sentence that recognises the hate component of an offence where it is motivated by hatred or where hatred is demonstrated during the commission of the offence. This will also provide a clearer statutory basis for the recording of hate offences.
In addition to my work on this legislation, my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth earlier this year fulfilled the Government commitment to publish a National Action Plan against Racism.
Other actions to tackle racism, prejudice and intolerance in the Programme for Government include the Migrant Integration Strategy and the National LGBTI+ Strategy.
I would encourage anyone who has been a victim or has witnessed any hate motivated crime to report it to An Garda Síochána for investigation.
