Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)

Could we have one meeting in the Dáil, please? If we are to pass this legislation, we must ask ourselves, "What comes next?" Will quoting scripture become a punishable act, something that fines the teaching of exclusionism? Will religious observations be branded as hateful if they conflict with the views of the public? Will the right to express a moral belief, if it is found to be uncomfortable, not be accepted?

Ireland already has hate speech laws in place. These deal with genuine hate speech, which is about the incitement of violence. What exactly is the real purpose of this proposed legislation that is to come before us? Is it to protect people from violence or to protect the Government from criticism?

Who will define hate for this House? Will it be the courts, civil servants, an online administrative service or an algorithm? What will the threshold for criminality be if I disagree with somebody's views? Will I be found a criminal if I have a different view from the Minister?

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