A chara, – The much anticipated, and much criticised, hate crime legislation will be debated next week in Seanad Éireann. The Government, Pat Leahy reports, “will seek to push through all remaining stages of the contentious legislation” (“Showdown on gender definition in hate crime Bill looms”, News, October 11th).
The Government appears to have learned little since the March 8th referendums, believing that obfuscation will help in the coming debate. “The Bill’s gender provisions remain unexplained and inexplicable,” according to Senator Michael McDowell. This ought to remind those concerned with passing the hate crime Bill of the “durable relationships” debacle, how no one could actually define what this meant, yet almost all politicians were determined to “push through” during the run up to March 8th. The people were not fooled. Let’s hope our Senators will stand up to shoddy lawmaking and prove that they themselves will not be fooled. If only. – Is mise,
PETER DECLAN O’HALLORAN,
Belturbet,
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Co Cavan.