Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Pride march will take place this Saturday in Dublin. In 2022, 582 hate crimes were reported to An Garda Síochána, an increase of 30% from 2021. According to ILGA-Europe, last year was the most violent year for LGBTQ+ people in Europe in a decade. We know from Irish research that 75% of LGBTQ+ people have been verbally abused, while one in five of us has been punched, hit or physically attacked due to our sexual orientation or gender identity. Hate crime legislation alone will not solve the problem. We need to see a range of measures, including training, education and inclusive relationships and sex education, RSE, in all our schools. The Coalition Against Hate Crime Ireland and individual organisations such as LGBT Ireland have called for a national action plan on hate crimes. That call has gone unanswered. Will the Government commit to such a plan? Apart from the Bill, what is the Government doing to reverse the rise in hate crimes?

See this speech in context