Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate what the Minister of State said. I do not have figures to hand for other communities such as the Traveller community or other minorities, but in my case, despite marriage equality, we see this week that one in three LGBT couples will still not hold hands on the street. I have crossed the road with my boyfriend on many occasions - mainly at night - when we had a particular concern about what might be up ahead. Perhaps it is just in our minds, but homophobia is rife, despite legislative change. I suspect, therefore, that it is apparent for other groups in society. It is welcome that the Judicial Council Bill will include provisions on sentencing guidelines. I encourage the consideration of hate crimes in that context, but we need a specific hate crime Bill. The Fianna Fáil Bill that is in the system is not good enough. Sinn Féin and I will happily bring forward the Irish Council for Civil Liberties' hate crime Bill, as we have done previously, but we really need the resources of the State behind it. Rather than giving people hope in introducing that Bill, I would like to see the Department introduce such legislation.