Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)

Less than a year ago the Government made a U-turn on hate speech. The Tánaiste, Deputy Harris, overruled the former Minister for justice and made a pragmatic decision. Unlike this House, the majority of Irish people oppose any censorship laws. There was some sniggering in the Chamber a little while ago when a speaker suggested that hate speech could be turned against political parties in this House. Many Members are foolish in thinking that hate speech is for other people.

The hate speech laws are a threat to the right, the centre and the left. They are a threat to democracy. I will give an example of that. The Israeli foreign minister accused the Tánaiste, Deputy Harris, of hate speech. He said Simon Harris was guilty of being anti-Semitic. Right through Europe at the moment, pro-Palestinian activists are being clamped down on. The German police violently broke up pro-Palestinian marches. Pro-Palestinian protesters in universities in the Netherlands have been arrested. As the Minister knows, Ireland has a very different view to most Europe countries on the slaughter that is happening in Gaza at the moment.

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