Sir, – The 39th and 40th amendments to the Constitution were supported in the Dáil by the majority of Government and Opposition TDs and many NGOs. The amendments were opposed by around 70 per cent of voters. The Government has said it respects this result.
The Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill (known as the “Hate Speech Bill”) was supported in the Dáil by the majority of Government and Opposition TDs and many NGOs.
This Bill was opposed by around 70 per cent of those who made submissions on the consultation (“Hate crime reforms sparked public opposition as most politicians supported changes”, News, November 4th, 2022).
Perhaps the Government should respect this also? – Yours, etc,
New Irish citizens: ‘I hear the racist and xenophobic slurs on the streets. Everything is blamed on immigrants’
Jack Reynor: ‘We were in two minds between eloping or going the whole hog but we got married in Wicklow with about 220 people’
‘I could have gone to California. At this rate, I probably would have raised about half a billion dollars’
Ballsbridge mews formerly home to Irish musician for €1.95m
E BOLGER,
Dublin 9.
A chara, – With the spectacular rejection of the family referendum by the electorate, due in no small part to the failure to define what constitutes a “durable relationship”, surely the Government should abandon the Hate Speech Bill in its present format, as this too fails to give a definition of what “hate” is. – Yours, etc,
EAMONN O’HARA,
Manorcunningham,
Co Donegal.