Justice minister Helen McEntee announced on the weekend that hate speech laws could not be brought forward in the absence of a “consensus” on the matter.

New provisions on hate crime will still be introduced as amendments to the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022.

Martin Collins, co-director of Pavee Point Traveller and Roma Centre, said the group feels “let down and disappointed”.

Mr Collins said: “While it’s important the government go ahead with hate crime legislation, it has been shown that hate crime increases with hate speech. Scrapping stronger hate speech laws really represents a lost opportunity to prevent hate crime and protect communities.

“Arguments that any new hate speech law would curtail free speech are bogus as we already have the Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 and now that will remain unchanged. This law makes it an offence to publish or use words in public that are threatening, abusive, insulting or likely to stir up hatred.”

He added: “We think it’s worth reminding people of current hate speech legislation, as sometimes over the last year people may have got the idea that hate speech legislation was a new thing in Ireland. It’s not.

“Our problem with the 1989 Act is that a successful prosecution requires you to show ‘intent’. This proved difficult and resulted in a low number of prosecutions. The new legislation allowed for a prosecution if people were ‘reckless’ to the impact of their words while including other defences.”

Mr Collins concluded: “The fact that more effective and much needed hate speech legislation has been sacrificed to the political realities of a populist backlash largely played out in the media — and a looming general election — is concerning. It raises questions about the values we promote in our society.

“We believe that in general people want a society free from fear and intimidation for everyone — including groups that experience discrimination such as women, the LGBTQ+ community, people with a disability and minority ethnic groups including Travellers and Roma. This government has, sadly, failed to deliver on this.”