MINISTER FOR SOCIAL Protection Regina Doherty has said she is “very angry” that a sign reading “Jobpath Macht Frei” was placed on the entrance to one of the Department’s offices in Cork yesterday.

Images of the sign were posted on social media by the Auschwitz Memorial Museum, which called on the Department to “remove it”. 

The slogan “arbeit macht frei” – a German phrase meaning “work sets you free” – is known for appearing on the entrance of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

“Arbeit macht frei was a false, cynical illusion the SS gave to prisoners of the Auschwitz camp,” the museum tweeted. 

“Those words became one of the icons of human hatred hate,” it said. 

“Please remove it.”

The 'Arbeit Macht Frei' sign on the entrance to the Auschwitz concentration camp Shutterstock / Jaroslav Moravcik Shutterstock / Jaroslav Moravcik / Jaroslav Moravcik

The Department of Social Protection said the sign was place outside its offices by “unknown persons”. 

Minister Doherty said she is “very angry that this extremely offensive sign was placed on one of our offices yesterday”. 

As soon as the sign was noticed it was “removed immediately” and reported to gardaí, according to Doherty. 

“The morons who did this do not represent most Irish people,” she said. 

In a statement, the Department of Social Protection said it has “confirmed that an extremely offensive sign had been placed on the outside of its offices on Hanover Street, Cork by unknown persons yesterday afternoon and was removed immediately”. 

“The Department very much regrets that this happened at one of its offices and it has reported the matter to the gardaí.”