Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Ceannaire Gníomhach will be aware that there was a sentencing this week for the murders of two gay men in Sligo. I do not want to comment on the court case but it is appropriate that the House would remember the victims, Aidan Moffitt and Michael Snee. Anthony Burke was also the victim of a pretty horrific assault in Sligo, and An Garda Síochána clearly identified these as hate crimes. I certainly know from talking to many friends, and the evidence is also there, that we are seeing rising levels of homophobia and transphobia in Ireland, something we thought we had moved beyond.

Today, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights reported that black people in Ireland and across the European Union are saying that they are now experiencing more racism and discrimination. We are witnessing the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia across Europe. The Acting Leader will be aware that last week as well, we saw two Swedish football fans who were attacked in Brussels. The alleged perpetrator said that he was motivated by fundamentalist Islam. We need a debate in this House on tolerance and how we can ensure that all sectors of society feel safe. Given the way people identify because of their skin colour, gender or sexual orientation, there is rising evidence of intolerance and discrimination, and we all have a voice in that regard. It is important that these Houses set that out clearly.

I note on what is the week of Czechia's national day the words of Vaclav Havel, who I think had a lot to say on this when he said:

I feel that the dormant goodwill in people needs to be stirred. People need to hear that it makes sense to behave decently or to help others, to place common interests above their own, to respect the elementary rules of human coexistence.

We need to start respecting those rules.