Hate speech laws will not criminalise those who 'insult others', says McEntee

Justice Minister Helen McEntee at the launch of the Dublin North Inner City Local Community Safety Plan on Friday. Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said the upcoming hate crime legislation will not be about criminalising people who insult or misgender others.

Ms McEntee said she hoped to have enacted the hate crime legislation by the end of the year, however, she said she would be engaging with colleagues on issues raised to date with the proposed law.

She said the bill would address those who intentionally spread hate that could result in assaults or impact on minorities.

“But this is not about criminalising people who insult others or misgender another person, this is very clearly about introducing hate crime, and hate speech legislation,” she said.

Ms McEntee said the legislation was “very clear” and concerns a deliberate attempt to spread hatred against another person, not misgendering someone.

She also said she had a busy legislative agenda when the Dáil returns in two weeks, including legislation on body-worn cameras, as well as progressing legislation on the new domestic violence agency.

Kinahans

Separately, the Justice Minister said Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and gardaí have shown “absolute determination” to dismantle the Kinahan organised crime group.

It comes as the Irish Examiner revealed the commissioner travelled to the United Arab Emirates and met the commander in chief of the Dubai Police to discuss possible legal avenues for the deportations.

“The only way that you can do that —given the nature of crime now, it’s not just based at home but it’s transnational — is by building relationships with other police services but other governments as well.

“So whether it's the US, the UK, Europe, and now the UAE, there has been a huge amount of work in building those relationships,” she said.

She said she fully supported the commissioner’s work abroad to dismantle the gang.

“In the same way that I think the commissioner and his team are determined, I'm absolutely determined that everything will be done to make sure that these people face justice,” she said.

Safety plan

She was speaking at the launch of the Local Community Safety Plan for Dublin’s north inner city.

The plan is one of three pilots ahead of the national rollout of the new community safety policy next year.

The policy acknowledges local communities know best how to improve safety in their areas, and will work with the HSE, Tusla, education providers, business groups, An Garda Síochána, and public and community representatives to draw up plans to identify what actions are needed.

One element of the strategy is the introduction of community safety wardens who will act as “extra eyes and ears on the ground”.

She said community wardens had been effective in Derry and were currently working on Wolfe Tone Square with a commitment to expand them to O’Connell Street.

The €150,000 funding for the wardens is through the community safety innovation fund, which takes from the proceeds of crime.

She said there were multiple elements to the role of wardens, including identifying issues that arise.

She stressed wardens who have a visible and engaging presence will not take the role of gardaí, however said they will work “hand in hand”.

“What we're acknowledging here is that community safety is not just about gardaí and boots on the ground,” she said.

The launch of the Dublin Community Safety Plan follows those of Longford and Waterford.