The Department of Justice has said it is considering introducing legislation covering racially motivated "hate crimes" following the recommendations of a report due to be completed by the University of Limerick in July.
At present people are open to prosecution for racial crimes under the 1989 Incitement to Hatred Act. However, since 2000 only one person had been convicted under this Act, according to the Garda Press Office.
"We are examining the efficacy of introducing race crimes and aggravated sentencing policies into Irish law," said Jennifer Schweppe from the university's school of law.
She has undertaken the research with Prof Dermot Walsh from the Centre for Criminal Justice at UL.
The Department of Justice commissioned UL to investigate the effectiveness of Ireland's legislation covering racially motivated crime. The research began in November.
In a statement, the department said it did not believe there was a problem with racially motivated crime in Ireland "but we should not be complacent when we see what has occurred in other jurisdictions".
"The research will consider whether the concepts of 'hate crimes' and 'aggravated offences' - provisions which exist in the legislation of some other jurisdictions including Northern Ireland - should inform the approach adopted in Ireland," continued the statement.
Ms Schweppe said the research would examine best international practice in relation to legislative approaches to racially motivated crime, and would detail "what the Department of Justice should do to bring Irish legislation into compliance with international standards".
It will focus particularly on Northern Ireland's and Britain's legislation in relation to hate crimes, "as they have adapted two very different approaches", said Ms Schweppe.