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- Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 increases prison sentences for certain crimes motivated by hatred.
- Law will protect people targeted because of certain characteristics including race, colour, sexual orientation, gender, and disability.
An order has been signed, which will come into force today (Tuesday 31 December), under the Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024, which increases prison sentences for certain crimes motivated by hatred.
This new legislation provides for crimes, which are proven to be motivated by hatred, or where hatred is fully demonstrated. For example, the legislation ensures that assault aggravated by hatred, or damage to property aggravated by hatred, will attract higher prison sentences. Where hatred is not proven, a person can still be charged with assault or damage to property.
This legislation will protect people targeted because of certain identity characteristics namely – race; colour; nationality; religion; national or ethnic origin; descent; disability; gender; sex characteristics and sexual orientation. The Act creates new, aggravated forms of certain existing offences – i.e. hate crimes – where they are aggravated by hatred of one or more of these protected characteristics.
Ireland has faced criticism from the Council of Europe and other International Human Rights bodies, which had, until now, highlighted that there was no specific or statutory provision for hate-aggravated offences in Ireland.
Incitement to hatred and hate speech are criminalised separately under the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989, which continues to remain in force.
- Over 8,000 arrests and 20,000 charges and summons issued in first year of Operation Táirge which tackles organised retail crime
Progress made by Gardaí under Operation Táirge, has resulted in a significant crackdown on retail crime in its first year. Over 8,000 people have been arrested and over 20,000 charges and summons issued over the last 12 months.
Launched in December 2023, Operation Táirge is An Garda Síochána’s national operation targeting organised retail crime. Organised retail crime typically refers to situations where a number of people are acting together. These people target retailer outlets to steal significant quantities of goods to resell back into the retail supply chain through the black market.
Organised retail crime can also involve refund fraud with the purpose of making a financial or material benefit. It is usually a co-ordinated and well-organised crime carried out by people who recruit others to commit theft from retailers.
Operation Táirge plays a key role in ensuring retailers and their staff are protected from organised crime and the harm that it can do to their businesses.
A total of 8,460 Arrests and 20,052 charges or summons were recorded in association with Operation Táirge between 1st December 2023 and 30th November 2024.
The Operation is part of An Garda Síochána’s Crime Prevention and Reduction Strategy which aims to reduce the detrimental impact retail crime and criminals can have on retail businesses, and also seeks to support operational activity aimed at detecting and preventing retail theft.
Notable successes under Operation Táirge include:
- On 24th November Gardaí in DMR North arrested a man in his 50s as part of ongoing investigations into recent thefts from retail stores across North Dublin. The man was taken to a Garda station in North Dublin and subsequently charged with 46 counts of theft and one count of assaulting a retail worker.
- On 20 November Gardaí attached to the Coolock and Raheny districts arrested and charged 21 people as part of ongoing investigations under Operation Thor and Operation Táirge, targeting criminal activity with particular emphasis on robbery, burglary and theft in the North East Dublin Metropolitan Region areas of Coolock and Raheny.
The ongoing positive impact of ‘Operation Thor’ on combatting residential burglaries welcomed by communities.
- Operation Thor is An Garda Síochána’s national strategy targeting organised crime groups involved in burglaries and associated criminal activity.
- The winter phase of Operation Thor commenced on 1 October 2024 and will run until the end of March 2025.
- A reduction of approximately 75% in residential burglaries has been recorded between 2016 and 2023.
Operation Thor, was commenced by An Garda Síochána in 2015, and is designed to tackle an anticipated increase in the number of burglaries and associated criminal activity that usually occur during winter months, by undertaking targeted enforcement and preventative activity. This initiative has successfully reduced the rate of winter burglaries, leading to a significant decline in property-related crime since its introduction.
Between January 1st 2024 and December 11th 2024, some 2,058 arrests and 4,663 charges and summons were recorded in association with Operation Thor.
Operation Thor tackles burglary and actively targets organised crime gangs and repeat offenders through co-ordinated crime prevention and enforcement activity, based on intelligence and the latest burglary trends.
Since Operation Thor was established a reduction of approximately 75% in residential burglaries has been recorded between 2016 and 2023.
Last month, a comprehensive policing operation under Operation Thor, resulted in 23 arrests. These individuals were charged with a total of 100 offences including offences for burglary, theft, unauthorised taking of a vehicle and possession of stolen property. Just recently, three people were arrested as part of an intelligence-led operation targeting an organised criminal group suspected of committing burglaries at commercial properties in Galway, Mayo, Cork, Kildare and Wexford.
The Garda crime prevention advice under Operation Thor, which is highlighted through public information campaigns and by Garda Prevention Officers includes the ‘Lock up, Light up’ campaign.
An Garda Síochána also have a free property recording app. Should any items be stolen, the app provides a way of reporting this to An Garda Síochána and gives the public the option to share information with Gardaí for this purpose.
The Department of Justice also provides funding to Muintir na Tíre to cover the costs incurred by community groups in administering the Text Alert Scheme.
Text Alert enables communities to set up a group to receive alerts advising them of suspicious or criminal activity in their area. As well as ensuring awareness among users of the service, it can also lead to them reporting suspicious activity to Gardaí.
Further information on the property marking app, text alert schemes and other crime prevention information can be found on the Garda website: www.garda.ie.
See the tips above from the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau to help you stay secure when shopping online this Christmas.
- ‘Always Here’ aims to increase awareness of pathways to safety and supports available.
- Christmas and New Year is a tough time for some, when reports of domestic abuse can escalate.
- Rollout of campaign being led by Cuan, the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency.
The importance of ‘Always Here’; the awareness raising campaign on pathways to safety and supports available to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is now being highlighted.
The campaign will run over Christmas and into January; a time when reports of domestic abuse in particular can increase, and it encourages victims to reach out for help and to report what has happened or is happening to them.
The central message is that when someone takes that brave step to seek help – from state agencies such as An Garda Síochána and the Court Service or from any of the vital organisations in the community and voluntary sectors that work with victims – that they will be listened to, they will be taken seriously and they will be given the support they need.
New figures from the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB) show that there has been a 9% increase in the number of contacts to Gardai in relation to domestic violence this year. It is noted that both domestic violence and sexual violence are crimes that had traditionally been under-reported, and that significant work is now being done to increase reporting, including through awareness campaigns.
The “Always Here“ campaign website – alwayshere.ie – has information on national helplines for both men and women subjected to domestic and sexual violence. It has an interactive map where people can find local services in their county.
It also has information on supports for people who are under 18, and for older people and those with disabilities, as well as practical information on how to make a safety plan or what happens in a criminal trial.
“Always Here” is a key action under the Protection Pillar of the Third National Strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Now in its second year, this campaign is being managed by Cuan, the new DSGBV Agency, established in early 2024.
Dr. Stephanie O’Keeffe, CEO of Cuan said: “At this time of year, more than ever, it is important that we make sure that those who need help and support can find it. This is why we in Cuan are proud to be rolling out the Always Here campaign over the holiday season, as well as working with our partners on developing further campaign elements for rollout later in 2025.
Behind the “Always Here” message are the people delivering the services that we are signposting – the people answering the phone on the helplines, those who will accompany someone to a sexual assault treatment unit, members of An Garda Síochána latter responding to reports of domestic violence, and many more.
I would like to acknowledge the commitment and dedication of all those who will be supporting victims and survivors of DSGBV during these weeks and beyond. Thank you for always being here.”
The campaign is running across TV, national and local radio, in press, digital and social media, in cinemas and on a major out-of-home campaign on billboards and digital screens throughout Ireland. The campaign also focuses on targeting people in spaces such as in GP waiting rooms, pharmacies, in pubs, on buses or where they do their shopping.
It also focuses on people living in Ireland but using media in other languages.
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