Taoiseach says crime data by nationality could help counter claims about ethnicity

Micheál Martin said crime is not specific to any nationality as campaigners warned against allowing nationality and crime to become linked

Taoiseach Micheál Martin clarified to reporters in Cork that he believed publishing such statistics might have a positive benefit. Picture: PA

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has expanded on comments he made to Fox News, saying he would be open to publishing the nationalities and ethnicities of people involved in criminality.

Asked in a recent Fox News Digital interview whether crime statistics should show the nationality of those accused, Mr Martin said he was “not opposed” to such a move.

However, in that interview, he immediately added: “I’m not too sure that murder or crime is specific to any nationality. In fact, a lot of crime is committed by Irish people as well as other nationalities.

“I don’t think crime is specific to any nationality. But there are issues there, and in some cases, yes, there’s been horrific crimes committed, but not all by illegal migrants either.”

Asked about those remarks, Mr Martin clarified to reporters in Cork that he believed publishing such statistics might have a positive benefit.

“What I said in that interview was I was open to it,” he said.

“I’m conscious those putting that question are suggesting that one ethnicity or a couple of ethnicities are more responsible than others.

“I don’t believe that. I believe that crime is not specific to any ethnicity, and I made that point in the interview.

“But sometimes, to deal with presentations and arguments of that kind, the production of the data could deal with it more eloquently than we articulating a position or a perspective.

"But obviously, that’s something we would have to consider very, very carefully.” 

Warning against ‘bait’

However, Edel McGinley, executive director of the Hope and Courage Collective, an NGO which works to counter far-right hatred and disinformation, urged the Taoiseach not to “take the bait” on the issue.

“A handful of haters have been trying to whip up division and create traps for our politicians to walk into, by focusing on nationality and crime,” she said.

“This is a classic part of the playbook of hate and division. We have seen this time and time again, particularly in the USA and the UK.” Ireland, she said, should not allow “Fox News or the USA” to set the political agenda in this country.

“Safer communities mean access to decent affordable homes, good schools and childcare, local support and services and a feeling of belonging,” Ms McGinley added.

“Alongside this, we need effective policing, with a focus on community relations, support for victims, and neighbourhoods where people know and look out for one another.

“To suggest otherwise is just a distraction”.

Social Democrats call for wider data

Dublin South Central TD Gary Gannon, who is the Social Democrats justice spokesperson, said his party was not opposed in principle to collecting demographic data for the prison population.

“We advocate collecting it in areas like stop and search precisely because it can help identify discrimination or disproportionate policing,” he said.

“But we need to distinguish between examining how the justice system treats different communities and just inviting people - some of whom have an obvious agenda - to draw conclusions about entire communities from conviction figures.

“If the Taoiseach wants an evidence-based discussion, it needs to examine the full picture, including poverty, access to appropriate representation while in the courts system, and failures in education, care and disability supports.

“Publishing ethnicity or nationality figures alone would not explain why people end up in the criminal justice system.”