The Government is set to walk back plans to introduce hate speech laws which would criminalise incitement to violence and hatred.
Under the revised proposal, the new hate crime Bill will provide for higher prison sentences for certain crimes, where it is proven that the motivation is hatred.
These will include incidents of assault or damage to property aggravated by hatred.
Minister Helen McEntee said that in order to bring forward hate speech legislation “we need a consensus; we don’t have that at the moment.”
“However, I am absolutely adamant that we need new laws to ensure that if a person is attacked simply because of who they are, the person doing it to them will receive a higher prison sentence,” the Minister continued.
“That’s what I’m moving forward on, that’s what I intend to enact in this new session.”
Ireland’s current laws on the prohibition of incitement to hatred will no longer be repealed.
