Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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738. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he is aware of the rise in racially motivated attacks in recent months; if he is concerned by reports that racism and racially motivated incidents are becoming increasingly aggressive; the specific measures being taken to address this growing problem, particularly in the Fingal west area where this Deputies office has received an increasing number of reports and emails on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62844/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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This Government is determined to stamp out hate-motivated crime and protect vulnerable communities.

Any attacks on migrant or minority communities are absolutely unacceptable. Everyone in Ireland has the right to be safe and free from intimidation or abuse, regardless of their background.

At the outset, it is important to state that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.

This includes the allocation and deployment of resources available to him and determining the manner in which members of garda personnel are to be distributed and stationed throughout the State.

With that said, I can assure the Deputy that An Garda Síochána treats hate crime with the utmost seriousness. Every hate crime reported is professionally investigated and victims are supported during the criminal justice process.

An Garda Síochána has an extensive network of more than 530 trained Garda Diversity Officers who can engage with communities and individuals on a daily basis to provide them with re-assurance and address issues of concern for them. Gardaí also actively engage with representative and advocacy groups to support minority and diverse communities in Ireland.

I would encourage anyone that has experienced hate-related incidents to report these to An Garda Síochána.

As a part of the Government's ongoing effort to combat hate-motivated crime, we have strengthened and improved the law in this area.

Ireland was at the forefront of tackling incitement to hatred through the introduction of legislation, namely, through the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act in 1989.

Legislation for tougher sentences for crimes motivated by hate was brought in by the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 last year. This legislation protects people targeted because of certain identity characteristics namely - race; colour; nationality; religion; national or ethnic origin; descent; disability; gender; sex characteristics and sexual orientation. The Act creates new, aggravated forms of certain existing offences – i.e. hate crimes - where they are aggravated by hatred of a protected characteristic.

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

At a national level, Ireland’s National Action Plan Against Racism (NAPAR) represents a 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.

The Ireland Against Racism Fund 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.

The Integration Fund supports organisations to carry out integration projects at a national, regional or local level and combines two previously run funds – the International Protection Integration Fund (IPIF) and the Communities Integration Fund (CIF). Organisations eligible to apply include local community groups, charities, faith-based groups, formal and informal schools and cultural organisations.

Since their inception, both funds have provided close to €10m in funding to over 1,000 projects across the country, including 9 projects in the Fingal West area, the details of which are included in the attached table.

Finally, the Programme for Government 2025 provides a commitment to developing 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. Work is well advanced on this project, with a view to the Strategy being launched next year.