Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for providing a copy of her speech. I am not sure what the colour of the paper, which is unusual, represents. It is handy to have a copy because it sets out the background to the proposal. We are having this debate because the approval of the Dáil is needed under Article 29.4.7° of the Constitution in regard to extending the list under the article. I agree that we should extend it to include hate speech and crimes. I have no difficulty with that whatsoever and the proposal will be coming back before us again.

The Commission report sets out clearly why this proposal is necessary. It states, on page 10, that research shows that hate speech on social media leads to more crimes against minorities in the physical world, which are set out in the document. Hate speech online has led to a rise in violence against refugees, emigrants and ethnic and religious minorities. The report goes on to give some examples of the scale of that hate speech and hate crime. One in ten of LGBTIQ respondents to a survey reported that they were physically or sexually attacked because they were a member of that group. Hate speech and crime against persons of Asian origin, particularly Chinese origin, or those perceived to be of Asian origin has also increased significantly. The survey was carried out by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. Antisemitism, of course, has also increased, with 40% of Jews in the EU expressing fear of being physically attacked. Similarly, 27% of Muslims have experienced incidents of hate-motivated harassment in the previous 12 months.

Significantly, women, particularly young women, are targeted with gender-based hate speech online and offline. According to the 2020 global survey, 52% of young women and girls had experienced online violence, including threats. Older people are also mentioned. I am aware that the Minister is familiar with these statistics. That is the background to this. We could not but support it.

Let us return to the title of the Commission document: A more inclusive and protective Europe. I am on the record as saying I do not believe Europe is moving in a more inclusive direction. It is quite the opposite. It is one thing to introduce legislation down the road — I will be welcoming it subject to looking at the details, based on opting into this decision — but it is another to consider the reality on the ground regarding what Europe is becoming. The Minister will have heard us talk repeatedly on this side of the House about Fortress Europe, which is coming from organisations on the ground, and about what has happened in terms of the othering of anyone who is different.

It has already been mentioned that there are frightening images coming from the Spanish enclave in northern Africa. People are desperately fighting for their lives, drowning in the Mediterranean and climbing over fences, all to try to get a better life. Ultimately, as leaders and women, we need to ask what is happening in Europe. We talk about the Europe of our values but we must ask what values we have when we regard refugees of a particular race, colour or country in one way and refugees of a different colour or race in a different way. What is happening when we suddenly change the law for refugees from Ukraine, which is welcome, and refuse point blank to change it in any speedy manner for those in direct provision, 2,000 of whom have status and can go nowhere? There is a huge fight to get a right to work, and this is only obtained after a certain time and so on, with restrictions. With one hand we change the law just like that, and with the other we do not, depending on the circumstances.

Regarding Yemen, I have repeatedly quoted the figures. The figures and pictures are shocking. Ten thousand children have died in seven years. Do we think about that? Some 370,000 people, including the 10,000 children, are dead. Almost 20.7 million people are in dire need of humanitarian assistance and so on. We have a duty as a neutral country to have a reflective approach to dealing with each situation in the most humanitarian way possible as it arises while at the same time beginning to ask what is causing all these wars, what is leading to this and why we support certain countries and not others. We must ask why we do not take action in respect of Israel, notwithstanding that I fully stand with the Jewish people against any antisemitic language or attack. Why do we not stand with Amnesty International regarding it?

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