Ireland

In October 2019, An Garda Síochána launched the Garda Diversity & Integration Strategy 2019-2021. The strategy focuses on enhancing the identification, reporting, recording, investigating and prosecuting of hate crimes. It contains a working hate crime definition (attached) that is in line with international good practices and the McPherson "perception test". It also recognizes the current and emerging diversity of our communities, and aims to protect all diverse and minority groups in society. The strategy contains numerous initiatives and commitments aimed at increasing public confidence in reporting hate crime, such as online reporting, third party referrals, diversity consultation days, increased intercultural awareness and the establishment of a national diversity forum. The launch of the strategy also coincided with a public awareness-raising campaign on reporting hate crime. In 2019, An Garda Síochána introduced a monitoring section in the Garda National Diversity and Integration Unit (GNDIU) to ensure the quality and robustness of hate crime data.

Changes were also introduced in PULSE (the relevant national database). Due to the absence of hate crime provisions in Ireland's Criminal Code, there is currently no differentiation between a victim of hate crime or any other type of victim. With the changes, a victim of hate crime or non-crime hate incident will be easily identifiable by marking a hate-related indicator in an incident on PULSE. This will provide greater visibility when supervising and reviewing such cases, thereby helping to prevent re-victimization and enabling a more efficient analysis of hate crime data. Hate crime posters are displayed in the public and parading areas of every Garda station to provide information about reporting hate crime.