Rise in hate crime incidents with 582 recorded in 2022

There has been a significant increase in hate crime incidents in Ireland.

The number of incidents jumped by almost a third last year according to new figures from the gardaí.

A total of 582 hate related incidents were reported to gardaí in 2022 compared to 448 in 2021.

The largest number of hate related incidents (47%) were recorded in Dublin. Across the other three operational regions there are quite similar proportions of incidents evident – Southern Region (15%), North-Western Region (20%) Eastern Region (18%).

Of the discriminatory motives recorded, a third involved race, 22 per cent involved sexual orientation and 21 per cent were based on nationality.

As part of the report, Gardai included examples of the kinds of abuse people regularly face across the country. One story recounted how an Eastern European woman in her 50s was racially abused by a man, before being punched twice in the face and then kicked when she fell to the floor.

In other incidents, a teenager was subjected to homophobic comments before being attacked by three other male teens and a young black woman was physically assaulted while out shopping when another customer in his 20s forcibly barged into her entirely unprovoked.

The three male teenagers received formal cautions, the customer in his 20s received a 10-month suspended sentence and charges are currently pending in relation to the assault of the Eastern European woman.

During 2022 An Garda Síochána implemented a Hate Crime ELearning Programme developed in conjunction with NGOs. This programme has been completed by 83.2 per cent of all garda members.

Hate motives were evident in a range of incidents in 2022, the largest percentage being public order (30 per cent), minor assaults (20%), assault causing harm (9 per cent) and criminal damage (8 per cent).

Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, whose remit includes the Garda National Diversity and Integration Unit, welcomed the publication of the 2022 statistics.

"An Garda Síochána continues to have a strong focus on investigating crimes with a hate motive and supporting the victims of these crimes. An Garda Síochána recognises that hate crimes have a huge impact on victims, specifically because they are targeted because of a characteristic of who they are. These crimes also have a significant impact on wider communities and society."

Assistant Commissioner Hilman added: ”These statistics of incidents reported to An Garda Síochána in 2022 with a hate motive build on the baseline figures published for 2021. The level of reporting has increased overall. While it is disappointing that any incidents occur which have a hate related motive, it is positive to see more victims coming forward to An Garda Síochána and reporting their experiences.”

Commissioner with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Professor Caroline Fennell, has said that it is "not a surprise" to persons working in the field that there has been a sharp increase in reporting of racist incidents and crimes to the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR) through their website.

In its annual report for 2022, INAR indicated there were more than 600 reported incidents of racism, including violent assaults last year. This figure was up from 400 in 2021.

Yesterday, the Government published its first National Action Plan against racism in fifteen years which called for greater access to justice for those impacted by racism.