Hate offences law must be enacted as priority

The Hate Offences Bill, which aims to bring Ireland into line with the rest of Europe in having specific hate crime legislation, is too important a piece of legislation to be in any way derailed, writes Adam Long

For the LGBT+ community, who have witnessed a hugely disturbing spate of violent, hate-driven attacks in recent times, there is a clear demand for effective legislation as part of a wider societal response against the scourge of hate and extremism. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

The long-awaited Hate Offences Bill came before the Oireachtas this month and will now be subject to much scrutiny and debate on the road to enactment. Once enacted, it will finally bring Ireland into line with the rest of Europe in having specific hate crime legislation. It will also update our laws against incitement to hatred.

For the LGBT+ community, who have witnessed a hugely disturbing spate of violent, hate-driven attacks in recent times, there is a clear demand for effective legislation as part of a wider societal response against the scourge of hate and extremism. It has certainly been a leading legislative demand for the National LGBT Federation (NXF) since our own ‘Burning Issues’ research identified it as a key community concern as far back as 2016.