Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with much of what has been said and we need a legal framework to deal with the idea of hate crime and hate speech. We support this motion and there is a need for a significant amount of due diligence to be done so we can get a system that is fit for purpose. We all agree there are major issues when it comes to hate crime and hate speech and we see them far too often in society. Unfortunately, the online world provides a large forum for this too.

We are talking about online safety and we need to do some real work in bringing technology companies to book. We have heard what Ms Frances Haugen said about Facebook, how its algorithms work and the idea that they basically feed from, enable or facilitate that type of aggressive hate, with people finding themselves in a rabbit hole where they follow views of a similar ilk. That will happen to a point where they will lose all sense of reality and go down the rabbit hole. If that is a rabbit hole of absolute hate and bile, it is not a good place and it is not good for what people might do in society. We have specific work to do there.

We must look at the context in which we find ourselves following the absolutely criminal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We are dealing with a huge humanitarian crisis and, in fairness, this State is stepping up to the mark, along with a huge number of Irish people. We have all been contacted by people looking to help, where they can, those fleeing war, murder, war criminality and all that goes with it. Russia must be absolutely called out on that. Again, we must ensure these people come to an Ireland that is welcoming and open. We must not leave any room or space for a level of insidious racism, which we all come across from time to time through inference. People might say something would be different if they were of a different colour or persuasion, for example. I am constantly looking that special section of the local authority that looks after people who come from certain parts of the world in a faster way, because I would like to use it myself for constituents. However, I do not think I will find it.

Unfortunately we have to close that stuff down where it exists.

The major players in this are the social media companies. Beyond that, if we are talking in this general sphere, we are the tech hub of Europe. We are a major base for social media and IT companies across the world. Given the circumstances we are in, we also need to make sure we are doing due diligence as we are open to cyber and hybrid attacks. It has never been more dangerous than now. That is also a piece of work that needs to be done. There is no room for hate speech or hate crime and we need to ensure we have all the tools necessary to shut them out of our society.

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