David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have seen same-sex couples holding hands on the streets of Dublin in the evening time and think it is great that we live in a country where that can happen, but I have listened to what the Senator has had to say. Minority migrant groups can be particularly vulnerable to racism and hate crimes. The Government has developed a range of provisions to support these communities. I am sure the Senator is aware of the migrant integration strategy which includes measures to raise awareness of integration, immigration and racism. The Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration is a focal point of the Government's commitment to anti-racism measures as a key aspect of integration, diversity management and broader national social policy. It provides funding for a number of local authorities and community and voluntary organisations to support local programmes to educate the public on issues such as immigration, integration and anti-racism. This awareness work dovetails with the role of An Garda Síochána's ethnic liaison officers who work with minority communities at local level to encourage tolerance, respect and understanding within communities and help to prevent hate crime. Ireland is in no way tolerant of hatred in any form. Targeting people simply because of their identity and difference is not acceptable. My Department is strongly committed to the prevention and prosecution of these crimes.

I know that the Senator asked about the review. I will communicate with him on it as I do not have an up-to-date note on it. It is very important that such activities or crimes be reported to the Garda ethnic liaison officers or the local Garda station. There have been changes and improvements to the PULSE system such that there is now mandatory recording of data for the apparent motive behind a crime incident such as whether it was motivated by discrimination on specific grounds such as age, disability, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. The policing plan 2018 contains commitments that An Garda Síochána will produce a definition of and procedures to record hate crime.

I again thank the Senator for raising this very important matter and affording me the opportunity to address it.