Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

That is not a very satisfactory response. As the Minister knows, the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 applies only to what is regarded as hate speech and is completely unsuited to addressing crimes motivated by hate such as horrific acts of violence, criminal damage and petty vandalism. The Minister must accept that the impact of such crimes, even at the lower end of the spectrum, can be devastating for victims. Just this week, reports emerged of a young man posting on an online forum in real time as he prepared to throw a rock with a homophobic message attached to it through the window of a gay bar in a petty and cowardly act of violence. The chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Emily Logan, has explained that such an act serves as a "message crime" by sending reverberations through minority communities. Hate crimes make people think twice about their place in Irish society and embolden those who harbour views which most of us find abhorrent. What is the Minister's response to the increasing level of hate crime we are seeing in this country?

See this speech in context