FACT-CHECK :

Minister McEntee claims that “we are introducing hate crime legislation for the first time, which does not exist in this country.”

FALSE :

According to the Irish Times in 2017: “Ireland has one piece of hate crime legislation, the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989.”

Source: http://irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts-service-reveals-five-convictions-for-hate-crime-since-1989-1.3124352

Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee expects her controversial Hate Speech bill to be in force "by the end of the year", and says how confident she is that nobody in Ireland will ever be taken to court for "misgendering" under the law. Question by Ben Scallan.

#gript https://youtu.be/c_EQBdn3dZ0

Our petition:

https://www.change.org/p/ireland-says-no-to-hate-speech-laws?original_footer_petition_id=18610580&algorithm=promoted&source_location=petition_footer&grid_position=2&pt=AVBldGl0aW9uAPriDQIAAAAAZFzAQWNZLo9hMzA4Y2ZmZA%3D%3D

Irish artist, Kevin Sharkey will be part of the #IrelandUncensored line-up this Saturday 16th Sept.

Tickets have now sold out, however, you can still put your name down on a waiting list should there be any cancellations.

Link below:
https://tickettailor.com/events/freespeechireland/979702

The schedule for #IrelandUncensored tomorrow:

Please have your tickets ready on your phone or printed out so we can scan the QR codes.

We are aware that many people were unable to secure tickets.

The event will be livestreamed by Gript on X ( x.com/griptmedia ) and on YouTube ( youtube.com/@GriptMedia ).

Ben Scallan speaking at IRELAND UNCENSORED

Speaking at #irelanduncensored, Laoise de Brún BL of The Countess said that Section 10 of the Hate Speech Bill “drags this legislation into the realm of thought crime, or pre-crime”.

When it comes to censorship in Ireland, Niall Boylan poses a thought-provoking question to Ben Scallan:

“Is there anything that should be censored at all in your view?”

Toby Young of the Free Speech Union explains how Helen Mc Entee's Hate Speech Bill could mirror its Scottish counterpart.

JOHN MCGUIRK: Why everybody concerned about Government over-reach into free speech and public debate should be responding to the ongoing public consultation on "misinformation" and "disinformation".
#gript
https://gript.ie/the-very-important-public-consultation-on-misinformation/

Public consultation is now open for the establishment of a Counter Disinformation Working Group: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/b9319749-12a9-cb8b-6d17-fffc7976b366

One proposed goal is "preventing digital platforms' recommender algorithms from amplifying hate", though the term 'hate' is not defined.

The proposed principles of the working group are laid out here, on page 10:
https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/271158/9028c0ea-abaf-4580-afb0-1fadd33de28d.pdf#page=10

Minister McEntee’s Hate Speech Bill does not assure that misgendering will not be a criminal offence. “Gender” and “sex characteristics” are protected by the legislation.

Would the minister's interview suffice as a defence before a judge?

https://www.newstalk.com/news/hate-crime-bill-will-not-make-misgendering-people-a-crime-justice-minister-1514672

https://freespeechireland.ie/consultations/

HAVE YOUR SAY:
The public consultation on disinformation closes at the end of this week.

The next stage is a stakeholder consultation, including fact-checkers such as TheJournal.ie.

Ireland isn't alone in the fight against censorship, although we have one of the most draconian bills being passed.

Wonderful to see such strong support for free speech around the world. https://twitter.com/shellenberger/status/1714616388214550662

Helen McEntee has promised her Hate Speech Bill will be enacted by the end of the year.

We promise to show her that the public overwhelmingly supports freedom of speech. Join us on November 9th.

The Irish Gov. now mandates Irish universities join the highly politicised Athena SWAN Charter for research funding eligibility. The charter includes the implementation of radically ideological policies.

This is a direct attack on academic freedom.

https://thecritic.co.uk/an-athena-swansong/

Since the Hate Speech Bill was commenced, Senator Sharon Keogan has used her position to expose the legislation's clumsy and overbearing nature.

We are proud to announce that she will be speaking on November 9th.

“It can't be that we let people win arguments by silencing their opponents. It doesn't play out well.”

- Helen Joyce

Speaking to Helen Joyce at the Ireland Uncensored Conference at the RDS, 16th September 2023 https://youtu.be/EYAUKOv4l2w