Shane Moynihan (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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414. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the measures his Department and An Garda Síochána are taking to address the prevalence of racist attacks; the supports available to victims of such assaults, including financial assistance for medical and dental treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67721/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is determined to stamp out hate-motivated crime and protect vulnerable communities. Attacks on migrant communities - whether physical, verbal, or online - are utterly unacceptable.

The introduction of the Criminal Justice Hate Offences Act 2024 strengthens the law by ensuring perpetrators face tougher penalties where hatred is proven to be a motivating factor, or where hatred is demonstrated based on the identity of the victim. For example, assault aggravated by hatred, or damage to property aggravated by hatred, will attract higher prison sentences. Where hatred is not proven, a person can still be charged with assault or damage to property. This ensures protections for victims, regardless of their background, if they are targeted because of the identity characteristics, namely - race; colour; nationality; religion; national or ethnic origin; descent; disability; gender; sex characteristics and sexual orientation

Legislation is only part of the picture.

An Garda Síochána takes hate crime very seriously. Every hate crime reported to An Garda Síochána is professionally investigated, and victims are supported during the criminal justice process.

And I would encourage anyone that has experienced incidents to report these to An Garda Síochána. These will be treated with empathy, and An Garda Síochána continues in its efforts to strengthen its network of diversity officers to support victims and those affected by hate discrimination in communities around the country. There are 536 trained Garda Diversity Officers in place nationwide to provide reassurance, build trust, and address concerns. Gardaí are also actively engaged with advocacy groups to support minority and diverse communities.

I am committed to working with all partners to reduce crime, build safer communities for everyone, and this is reflected in the Garda Vote in Budget 2026 which saw unprecedented funding of over €2.59 billion for this year, a 33% increase since 2021 which is supporting the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.

My Department is also working to ensure organisations who help victims of crime are available to everyone who needs them and to a high standard, right across the country.

The Victims of Crime (VOC) Fund provides grant aid to a range of non-governmental organisations delivering services to victims of crime. Under Budget 2025, €3,574,000 has been allocated to promote and assist the development of support services to victims of crime. This funding enables the provision of services supporting victims at different stages of the criminal justice system. This includes the provision of emotional and practical support, information and advice on the rights of victims, court accompaniment services, specialised counselling services, helplines and accompaniment to Garda interviews for those who have experienced traumatic incidents.

Through initiatives such as ‘Supporting a Victim’s Journey’, and the ‘Zero Tolerance’ Strategy on DSGBV, my Department is committed to building a victim-centred criminal justice system. This includes a wide range of elements, from the work of Victims Liaison Officers across the justice sector to national awareness campaigns to highlight the rights of victims. My Department also supports the Victims Charter website which brings together all the information a victim of crime might need to know about their rights, and about what to expect from their engagement with the criminal justice system.

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme continues to play an important and significant role in providing practical support by way of monetary compensation to victims of violent crime.

The Government is committed to reforming the Scheme, including placing it on a statutory footing as provided for in the Programme for Government, and work is currently being advanced in relation to this.

The Law Reform Commission (LRC) is examining the broader topic of victim compensation as part of its Fifth Programme of Law Reform.

Speaking more generally, Ireland’s (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.

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. Organisations eligible to apply include local community groups, charities, faith-based groups, formal and informal schools and cultural organisations.

The Fund combines two previous 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.

Finally, 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. Work is well advanced on this project, with a view to the Strategy being launched next year.