Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On the matter of housing and meeting our international obligations, I am very clear that I do not agree with the comments Deputy Doherty put forward. As a Minister who has the job to provide accommodation for people and is providing accommodation through that payment, I am not clear what his solution is in respect of the thousands of people who rely on that payment right now if it is withdrawn.

As regards the hate crime legislation, I have always sought, as part of the Government, to ensure that hate crimes are treated as such. There were 651 hate incidents in our country last year, but we can speak to them only as incidents right now because they are not actually criminal. The targeting of somebody because he or she is black or gay is not considered by the law right now. As Minister and as one of the people who helped to negotiate the programme for Government, ensuring that such legislation is put in place has always been a priority for me. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, will bring forward the relevant amendments shortly in the Seanad.

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