Ireland Passes Watered-Down Version of Controversial Hate Crime Bill

Critics argue the state has ‘incorporated the highly contested central tenet of gender ideology’ into legislation through vague language and definitions.

Ireland's Minister for Justice Helen McEntee speaks at a news conference in London on Oct. 7, 2022. Peter Nicholls /Reuters

A watered-down version of a hate crime bill has passed in Ireland, scaling back on some of the more contentious provisions around hate speech after backlash from campaigners.

The bill was passed on the evening of Oct. 23, a month after Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she would not introduce hate speech provisions but would proceed with the hate crime element of the legislation.