Pippa Hackett (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Members of the LGBT+ community have the right to feel safe and be safe in their homes, on our streets and online. Research by the Hate and Hostility Research Group, HHRG, at University of Limerick, identified that one in five of those surveyed had been punched, hit or physically attacked in public for being LGBT+ and one in three had been threatened with physical violence. We must change this now. It is for all of society to deal with. I am grateful that Councillor Mark Hackett is pursuing the issue of gender-based violence at council level in Offaly and is doing this through the joint policing committee. I wish that sub-group all the best with its important work. It is 2022 and Ireland still does not have hate crime legislation. The law on incitement to hatred dates back to 33 years ago. Thankfully legislation is on its way to change this. Hate crimes are message crimes intended to target entire communities. Victims are targeted because of what they represent and the impact of hate crimes goes beyond the single person. Their whole community is affected as well as our wider society. We as policymakers, as communities, as families and as individuals can play our part in solutions too. So if we see homophobia and transphobia in society, we must call it out. Never sit idly by. Never be silent. If you know someone who is experiencing homophobia or transphobia encourage and support them to report hate incidents to LGBT Ireland and to the Garda. This behaviour cannot be tolerated or normalised. We must stand in power together, we must stand in pride.