There were a total of 548 hate crimes and 103 hate-related non-crime incidents reported to gardaí in 2023, up from 510 and 72 in 2022.

Of the 696 motivations recorded across these incidents, the most prevalent was race (36 per cent) followed by nationality (18 per cent) and sexual orientation (16 per cent) — the first time that nationality has overtaken sexual orientation.

Hate motives were evident across a variety of reported crime incident types, the force said, with the largest percentage being recorded in public order (27 per cent), followed by minor assaults (16 per cent), criminal damage not by fire (nine per cent) and criminal damage by fire (three per cent).

As was the case during 2022, the largest proportion (44 per cent) of hate-related incidents occurred in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, followed by the north-western (21 per cent), southern (19 per cent) and eastern (16 per cent) regions.

Padraic Jones, chief superintendent for community engagement, said: “These figures indicate a further increase in the reporting of hate crime in Ireland during 2023.

“In one sense it is positive that victims are coming forward and speaking with An Garda Síochána about their experience of a crime motivated by hate, but it is disappointing that incidents of this nature occur at all.

“Being targeted because of a characteristic has an enormous and often life-altering impact on a victim, and as a society we must continue to reject hate and discrimination. Everyone has a right to live safely.”