Cllr wants to see Hate Speech Bill scrapped

REALITY People just want to see more gardaí employed - O’Reilly

Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly has sought the support of fellow councillors in objecting to the “continued insistence” by the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, to implement the proposed hate speech bill, which Cllr O’Reilly claims is “against the will of the people”.

In her latest motion the issue, Cllr O’Reilly addressed the April monthly meeting of Cavan County Council, pointing out that similar legislation was introduced in Scotland, bringing the matter here in Ireland “firmly back in focus”.

The Hate Speech Bill, she said, was “another example of the chasm that exists between the political/NGO bubble and the people of Ireland”.

“People just want the Minister for Justice to do her job, employ more gardaí on decent terms and conditions and make our streets safer. Yet for the last two years Helen McEntee has been completely distracted by a bill is not wanted by the people,” she contended.

Cllr O’Reilly went on to state that the outcome of the recent referendums had “highlighted just how detached the government is.

And this Bill is very similar to the referendums. At the heart of the problem are definition-free phrases that could one day jail you for simply speaking your mind respectfully.

There is no definition of hate and there is no definition of gender. If the government seeks to criminalise a citizen, they have a moral responsibility to clearly set out the legal parameters. On these definitions the government is again asking us to take their word for what these words will mean,” continued Cllr O’Reilly.

“The referendum has shown that people do not trust government. The referendums have shown the government openly misled the people as to the advice they received on the meaning of key phrases from the Attorney General. A liberal democracy is built upon allowing ideas to compete with each other, so we can test, challenge and measure their value.

It’s only through this free and respectful competition of ideas that we can empirically choose the best solutions for the problems society face.”

She voiced her opinion to fellow elected members that, by introducing the Bill, the government is “seeking to do is to shut down free expression and debate”, and accused rival party Sinn Féin of flip-flopping on the issue.

“The government are looking to introduce a censorship bill. They are proposing to criminalise people and jail people for articulating a different view on certain issues. It is incredible to see Sinn Féin flip flop on the issue in recent days. Many people my generation joined Sinn Fein because of the censorship of Section 31. Yet Sinn Fein not only voted for this censorship Bill but sought to make it more extreme. Aontú debated and voted against this Bill in the Dáil. I am asking the minister again, to give up the resistance and listen to the people.”

Cllr R’reilly received support for her motion from Sinn Féin’s Paddy McDonald and Independent Ireland’s Shane P O’Reilly, who commented: “The way this has been explained to the people is that it’s happening, it’s going to happen, and that this is going to be the way. But it’s like the old saying goes, you’ll get more with honey than with vinegar.”

He said the Bill, in its current state, is “so far removed” from what was initially intended. “It’s now more about hurting feelings. That’s what we’re looking at.”

Cllr S.P. O’Reilly (Ind) said there was a “thing called democracy”, and claimed that the new Bill would serve only to “undermine debate”.

Fine Gael’s T.P. O’Reilly said, though there is a “need for change”, he said that the government still needs to “bring people with us”.