Conference hears race crime laws need overhaul

Ireland’s laws on race crime need an overhaul in light of growing levels of abuse and a lack of confidence in the existing system, a conference heard yesterday.

The conference, which was held in University College Cork, was organised by immigrant-support group Nasc and was entitled ‘Racism and Hate Crime in Ireland: Is the Legislative and Policy Framework Adequate?’

In a statement delivered on his behalf at the conference, Justice Minister Alan Shatter said: “The responsibility for combating racism, hate crime, discrimination, and other forms of intolerance lies with all sectors of society, not just Government.”