The Dail has cleared the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Bill that will provide for increased prison sentences for crimes motivated by hatred.
The bill, which was also passed by the Seanad last week, will now go to the President to be signed into law.
The legislation will ensure that assault aggravated by hatred, or damage to property aggravated by hatred, will attract higher prison sentences.
Welcoming the passage of the bill, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: “This legislation is much needed. An Garda Síochána already record certain crimes as hate crimes, and we can see that recorded hate crimes increased by 7.5 per cent last year compared to 2022, and by 29 per cent the year before that.”
“It is not acceptable that some people live in fear simply because of who they are,” she said. “Ireland is one of the last countries in the EU not to have specific hate crime offences set out in law. I am delighted to have been able to bring this legislation through the Houses to protect vulnerable and minority groups from harm.”
The legislation will protect people targeted because of certain identity characteristics namely – race; colour; nationality; religion; national or ethnic origin; descent; disability; gender; sex characteristics and sexual orientation.