Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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1449. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the measures he is taking in response to the wave of racially motivated attacks that have taken place in the past number of weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44478/25]

Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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1516. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the action he will take to address the growing number of racially motivated physical and verbal assaults on minority communities across the State. [45148/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1449 and 1516 together.

Any attack against innocent members of the public is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Attacks on individuals because of their inherent characteristics including race are abhorrent to the values of our republic and are condemned by any right-thinking people.

While it is not within my remit, as Minister for Justice, to intervene in investigative matters dealt with by An Garda Síochána, I want to assure you that I am determined to stamp out hate-motivated crimes and protect vulnerable communities.

Our laws have recently been amended by the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences ) Act 2024 to ensure any attack motivated by hate will, on conviction, result in increased sentencing parameters for the sentencing judge so there are severe consequences for the perpetrators of these attacks.

I have been in touch with the Garda Commissioner about these attacks, and I have been assured that all incidents are being investigated and that An Garda Síochána treats hate crime very seriously.

Every hate crime reported to An Garda Síochána is professionally investigated and victims supported during the criminal justice process. I encourage any victim of crime to report this to An Garda Síochána including any indication that the crime may have a hate motivation.

The Garda National Diversity and Integration Unit (GNDIU) operates under the Garda National Community Engagement Bureau. As a national office, GNDIU is responsible for monitoring, advising and co-ordinating on all aspects of diversity and integration from an external perspective. The GNDIU train, develop and support a network of more than 530 Garda Diversity Officers around Ireland to actively engage with and attend to the concerns of minority and diverse communities, providing reassurance, building trust and extending the accessibility of the Garda Service.

An Garda Síochána is a human rights focused police service and the rights of all people are central to their training. Members of An Garda Síochána receive full training on potential discriminatory grounds, equality of treatment and ethical considerations. Each of these are also factored into the Garda Decision Making Model which is critical to all Garda training.

Throughout 2022 / 2023 the entire Garda organisation undertook Hate Crime Training which was developed in conjunction with Facing Facts, the Irish Network Against Racism and a number of CSOs representing all diverse / minority communities in Ireland. The training included numerous submissions and video contributions from representatives and members of those communities, including lived experiences of racism and discrimination.

What I find most concerning about recent attacks is that the majority appear to have been carried out by young people. I have been informed that Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers are engaging with the respective communities and youth groups on the matter. I have engaging extensively with the Garda Commissioner about this. Importantly, Senior Investigating Officers are assigned to investigate all reported incidents, so I hope to see progress on those investigations soon.

Ireland’s National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) represents a national level, State-led, co-ordinated approach to eliminating racism in all its forms in Ireland. It is intended that the actions will have a significant positive impact on all minority ethnic communities and faith-based groups in Ireland.

The Programme for Government 2025 includes a commitment to develop a new Migration and Integration Strategy for Ireland, detailing how we intend to meet the demands and the opportunities facing our society and economy over the next decade. As part of the work to develop the new strategy, a public and targeted consultation on migration integration has been conducted.

My Department also administers a series of funds to support anti-racism and integration initiatives around the country:

The Ireland Against Racism Fund, which is a key part of the NAPAR, enables non-government and community organisations to provide projects and local initiatives that combat racism and promote racial equality. To date, 57 projects have received funding amounting to €2.4 million under the scheme to date.

The Integration Fund supports organisations to carry out integration projects at a national, regional or local level. Organisations eligible to apply include local community groups, charities, faith-based groups, formal and informal schools and cultural organisations. The Fund combines two previously run funds – the International Protection Integration Fund (IPIF) and the Communities Integration Fund (CIF). Since their inception, both funds have provided close to €10m in funding to over 1,000 projects across the country.