Donegal Senator Eileen Flynn says "we can’t keep hate crime legislation on the back burner"

Independent Donegal based Senator Eileen Flynn said she is looking forward to working with Government to enact effective hate crime legislation, as she looks ahead to the coming year.

Looking ahead, Senator Flynn said she also hoped to see Government move on recommendations from the Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community, which have cross-party support from committee members.

Hate crime legislation

Senator Flynn said: “I’m afraid we’re taking our eye off the ball with hate crime legislation, even as the need for it is clear.

“I believe as we work toward an equal and inclusive society, we must protect people from forms of violence and harm that are directed at them because of who they are. It is very important that we get effective hate crime legislation in the statute books.

“Travellers and other minority groups have been calling for hate crime legislation for years. We can’t let it sit on the back burner,” she said.

Senator Flynn said: “I have heard some concerns about the bill’s possible effects on free speech and I want to assure people that this bill has protections for freedom of expression. It’s very important that it does. What this bill does is address language and actions that take away the freedoms of the people they target.”

The senator said the legislation is an important step forward while also believing there are areas where it can be strengthened, saying the bill needs to include a definition of hate, for example.

Senator Flynn said: “I think there is also a need for a national education and awareness-raising programme. We need a national education programme in our schools and in our local communities to teach respect for difference.

“If we educate children and young people to respect difference from a young age, we will have less hate crime later. My hope is that we should not have to use hate crime legislation often if we learn to live with respect for each other,” she said.

Irish Athletic Boxing Association

The senator is also proud to be a new member of the board of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association.

Senator Flynn said: “We have a great name in boxing internationally and I look forward to being part of making it a continued success. We deserve a strong boxing movement in this country because we have worked so hard to be where we are. And more and more girls and young women are showing interest in the sport, inspired, no doubt, by the great Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington.

“I also think it’s important that women from minority communities are included when we talk about women in sports across the board. There needs to be encouragement for all women to play sports.

“I’m looking forward to working with the association and getting more involved in the national sporting conversation. It’s about being part of the change,” she said.

The Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community

Senator Flynn said she also looked forward to working with the Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community, which she chairs.

Senator Flynn said: “The Traveller committee is a powerful platform and I’m looking forward in the new year to our holding agencies to account, such as the local authorities that have failed the Traveller community year after year by failing to address critical housing needs.

“For many years Travellers have sought a National Traveller Accommodation Authority to address Traveller accommodation and the committee has also recommended this. We are now working to place establishment of this authority clearly on the Government agenda by supporting amendments that would make it part of legislation. Committee members are also anxious to see progress on this and other issues.

“The committee recommendations also include establishment of a National Traveller Mental Health Strategy, which this Government had called for in its Programme for Government. The Traveller community is facing a mental health crisis, and needs a dedicated, properly resourced national strategy to address this. Lives will continue to be at stake until we take action,” she said.

Education

The senator would also like to see action on the Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018.

Senator Flynn said: “I have built up a good relationship with officials in the Department of Education and met with them in December, as we work to make sure that Traveller children are not put on reduced timetables because of who they are. That’s something that came out of the Education Committee, and I am pleased to see it moving forward.

“As a member of the committee, I will continue to advocate for education equality and education that is free for every child in the country. I will also continue my strong support for SNAs and believe they should be treated with the same level of respect as our teachers, because they provide an invaluable service to make sure all our students have the opportunity to be successful in our education system,” she said.

Legislation

Senator Flynn said she also hopes Minister Helen McEntee will support the motion she tabled in 2022 to change the term “child pornography” in Irish legislation to “child exploitation material”.

The senator said: “I hope this will have the Government’s full support this year. It’s a no-brainer, really. It’s language that we should not be using because it does not reflect the nature of the abuse and it is not right to continue to use such inappropriate language.”

Committee on Disability Matters

The senator said her work on the Committee on Disability Matters has shown the importance of engaging with and working with disabled persons organisations.

Senator Flynn said: “We have to listen to people with disabilities. Disabled people have the answers, they have the solutions. I will continue to push for universal payment for people with disabilities without means testing. We think it’s doable and something that the community want themselves. We also have to knock out inequalities in our mental health services and make sure we’re meeting people where they’re at.

“A disabled person who requires a personal assistant should be provided with a personal assistant by the State as a basic human right. The Independent Living Movement has campaigned for this for years.

“We all have the same right to live our lives to our full potential. Disabled people shouldn’t have to ask for this – it should be a given,” she said.

Just transition, electricity credits

Senator Flynn said she also looks forward to engaging all communities in the critical work of creating a just transition to tackle climate change.

The senator said: “We must include people at the margins of society in our conversations on climate change and we have done a lot of good work with the junior minister for circular economy to bring this conversation to our communities.

“Climate change will have a terrible impact on the poorest people in our society and in the world, and we must make sure people are aware of what that means. We must also make sure we have a just transition to a sustainable economy, so that the costs of crucial changes do not disproportionately affect the people who can least afford them. Every voice must be included in this most important conversation,” she said.

Senator Flynn has also worked with the minister to ensure that every Traveller who is an electricity customer receives electricity credits in the national scheme currently being rolled out.  The senator said: “I welcomed confirmation from the minister that Travellers who did not receive the credits last year will receive them, and that no one will be left behind in the current roll-out.”

Palestine

The senator said: “I want to thank all my colleagues in the Civil Engagement Group who have worked so hard with me these last few years, especially in 2023, and I look forward to the coming year.

“I will continue, with my CEG colleagues, to stand with the Palestinian people and work to bring about an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza. It is absolutely horrific what is happening and what’s being allowed to happen there, and we must use all our influence to stop the carnage,” she said.