Harris slaps down Trump criticism of Ireland's hate crime laws

Justice Simon Harris and Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris at the opening An Garda Síochána’s 999 call centre for the Dublin Metropolitan Region at Heuston Station, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins

Justice Minister Simon Harris has slapped down criticism of Ireland's hate crime laws from Donald Trump Jnr and Elon Musk, saying anytime he has a different view to them "is not a bad day at the office".

Donald Trump Jnr called the proposed legislation “insane”, while the Twitter boss said the laws were “very concerning”.

The Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences Bill 2022 has passed the Dáil and is currently in the Seanad. It updates laws criminalising hate speech and legislates against hate crimes for the first time.

“Anytime Donald Trump and Elon Musk have a different view to you is not a bad day at the office,” Mr Harris said. “Funnily enough, I don't take my political philosophy from the Trump family or from Mr Musk or his associates.” 

He said there was not much the Government and the opposition agreed on, but all parties “overwhelmingly” supported the laws.

“It's not about policing thought, it's not about stopping freedom of expression," he said. "What it is about is keeping people safe, and making sure that people can go about their lives and not be discriminated against and as a result of that discrimination, seeing them often be physically assaulted, or [suffer] incitement to hatred."

He said: “I even said myself speaking at committee stage of this legislation, it's absolutely your right to say offensive things, but it's not your right, absolutely not your right, to say something that incites hatred or danger towards another person. It’s absolutely not your right to try and whip up homophobic activity and violence against people.” 

He added: “When you see Donald Trump — junior, senior, whatever member the Trump family — and Elon Musk opposing legislation and when you see Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Greens, Sinn Féin, Labour, all these people coming together to vote in favour of something — there’s no conspiracy here.” 

Garda 999 call centre

The minister was speaking at the opening of a new Garda 999 call centre inside a newly-constructed high-security Irish Rail building at Heuston Station.

The launch was attended by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, the entire Garda command for Dublin and Irish Rail officials.

The commissioner said the new Garda Command and Control Centre for Dublin would house new ‘Garda Safe’ software for taking 999 calls and dispatching responses.

He said the system, already in place in the Southern and the North Western Region, would be installed by early autumn and forms part of the Garda response to concerns highlighted in Policing Authority reports on 999 calls.

Mir Harris said he was “very confident” An Garda Síochána had taken “incredible efforts” since the authority reports on 999 calls.

He acknowledged authority warnings last week on the impact of Garda staffing shortages on services: “What we do need to fixate on is how can we give the gardaí the resources to do their job, because we know, when we resource like An Garda Síochána, they do a very good job."