Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Varadkar said he still believes Ireland is a good place for people of the LGBTQ community to live. TheJournal.ie

Varadkar: 'There's a feeling in the gay community that homophobic attacks are on the rise'

Speaking to The Journal in a wide-ranging interview, Varadkar said the situation is ‘extremely worrying’.

THERE’S A FEELING in Ireland’s gay community that there has been an increase in homophobic attacks, according to Tánaiste Leo Varadkar. 

Speaking to The Journal in a wide-ranging interview, he said:

“I don’t know if this is backed up by statistics, but certainly there’s a feeling in the community that there has been an increase in homophobic attacks in recent months. That is extremely worrying.”

His comments come after a man was left with serious facial injuries after an unprovoked homophobic assault on a Dublin Bus in the early hours of Sunday morning. 

Mark Sheehan, 26, was returning from a night out with friends when he was headbutted by a man. Mark and his friends had been returning from a night out in The George in Dublin city centre and had gotten on the 15 bus shortly before 4am.  

In June, LGBT+ groups met with gardaí about attacks in Dublin and what could be done about the situation.

Speaking to The Journal about the attack, Varadkar said, “based on what I have read, I believe that the attack on the bus was inspired by homophobic feelings”. 

He also confirmed that Justice Minister Helen McEntee has spoken to the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris about the concern over homophobic attacks. 

However, Varadkar said he still believes Ireland is a good place for people of the LGBTQ community to live.

“I think if you’re gay, or lesbian, in Ireland, it’s probably one of the best countries in the world to live in. It’s not a particularly violent country. Discrimination, homophobia, and homophobic bullying exists, but perhaps not to the level that it exists in other places.

“And we have things like marriage equality, for example. I never forget the fact that there are 70 countries in the world where it’s still illegal to be gay, and only 30 where you can marry the person you love.

“So that gives you an idea of of how far ahead we are [compared to] the rest of the world, and also how much progress has to be made yet at an international level,” he said.

He said he believes new hate crime legislation will make a difference. 

“We have existing laws on incitement to hatred, but they’re written for a different time. And those laws now will make it a more serious offence,” he said. 

Varadkar had condemned the bus attack earlier this week, saying that people are entitled to feel safe on public transport.

Public transport and late-night club hours 

Speaking about concerns over people’s safety on public transport, particularly with plans to extend pub and club opening hours in the future, Varadkar said from a public transport and policing point of view, the planned change in the licensing laws will be a positive thing when it comes to public order. 

“We might get away from everyone hitting the streets at the same time,” he said.

The proposals for the late-night licensing laws for pubs and clubs will be ready by September, said Varadkar: “So within a few weeks. Realistically, the way the legislative timetable works, it could be a few more months before it gets through the Dáil.”

“I’d hope by next summer that we’d have a new licensing system in place,” he added.

Late-night public transport to get people home safely after a night out “has to be part of it”, said Varadkar.

“We do now have 24-hour services, not very many of them, but they do exist now for the first time. Services like Nitelink, late-night Luas and Dart, I think have to be part of it, because obviously people aren’t going to be driving home. And no matter what you do, there’s always going to be a limited number of taxis,” he said. 

“I’d like Ireland to have much more interesting nightlife. I don’t just mean pubs and clubs, I mean, night time cultural activities, and so on. And I don’t think everything has to be linked to alcohol. It’s kind of strange that if you’ve a night time venue that you have to close after you stop serving alcohol, you can’t just stop serving alcohol and stay open.

“So you know, our laws link things like that, for example, to alcohol, and maybe they shouldn’t. So we’re hoping to have the proposals ready for September,” said the Tánaiste. 

Ireland’s licensing system belongs to a “different age”, he said, as there is no nightclub license, only what is called a ‘special exemption order’, which requires club owners having to go to court to get permission to stay open late.

They have to do that by making out that “every Saturday night is a special event. And of course it isn’t”, said Varadkar. 

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
80 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daniel Morrissey
    Favourite Daniel Morrissey
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 12:20 AM

    Roll on the 26th change…. yawn…

    62
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anna Carr
    Favourite Anna Carr
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 12:56 AM

    @Daniel Morrissey: lol. I know how you feel. How many bloomin people over 65 are in the country. They seem to go on forever hahaha

    53
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Peter McGlynn
    Favourite Peter McGlynn
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 1:12 AM

    @Anna Carr: I don’t know how many. How many people voted Fianna Fáil? In or around that amount.

    52
    See 5 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ger
    Favourite Ger
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 3:06 AM

    @Anna Carr: it literally tells you in the article

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Gorry
    Favourite Paul Gorry
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 3:16 AM

    @Ger: ah lighten up ger her comment was tongue in cheek jayus what are you not seeing there?

    44
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 5:13 AM

    @Daniel Morrissey: well yeah, can’t make them deliver it faster or make it ourselves so that’s what we have to do.

    10
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Anto Curran
    Favourite Anto Curran
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 8:00 AM

    @Peter McGlynn: obsessed with FF. Unless you’re playing an online game where you can try to fit FF into every comments section?

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Barbara Stewart
    Favourite Barbara Stewart
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 11:55 AM

    @Anna Carr: Sorry for being 69 and delaying your vaccination….I could have said the same about all over 70s but I have a bit more respect!!!

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tony Humphreys
    Favourite Tony Humphreys
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 1:54 AM

    You lost me at the word ‘plan’. I always thought they there was only one plan – lockdown. Why do something when you can get away with nothing.

    64
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 5:14 AM

    @Tony Humphreys: well you thought wrong and then refused to think about it anymore

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Keith Richardson
    Favourite Keith Richardson
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 1:54 PM

    @Dave O’Keeffe: well there is no published plan on reopening. I’m sure there’s one on a desk somewhere. If people were treated like adults and told this then there would be increased confidence.

    2
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 18th 2021, 5:32 AM

    @Keith Richardson: no, if there was a widely publicised plan with an unpredictable pandemic and unreliable delivery schedules any changes would undermine the confidence you claim it would bring.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tarraing Mo Liathróidí
    Favourite Tarraing Mo Liathróidí
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 8:02 AM

    The fact we still likely won’t restart tourism and hospitality till June or July is just mind boggling, especially given the fact MM despite some who said it was lies when I pointed out that leaky Leo said the same thing, that he can’t say we won’t go into another lockdown after this one. And given the fact the hse management seem to have done nothing except allow the waiting list balloon and get themselves a pay rise, any extra surge from even a few covid cases over the winter months makes this likely since they now have a great excuse to cover up they barely cope any winter before covid hit. So this means a lot of small businesses and retail included as well may only have a small window to open and make some much needed money, meanwhile north will be full steam ahead open end of May.

    40
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Siobhan Rosemary
    Favourite Siobhan Rosemary
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 8:35 AM

    So the AstraZeneca isnt safe to use on under 60s but is safe for under 60s who received 1st dose?? Think il pass on the second thanks. Back of the que I go lol

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 18th 2021, 5:34 AM

    @Siobhan Rosemary: that silly. 1 in a million died of a blood clot that nobody knew to be looking for. That’s different now. 12 in a million died of covid here and doctors were definitely looking for it.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute K Flan
    Favourite K Flan
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 11:26 AM

    2 more weeks to flatten the curve

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
    Favourite Dave O'Keeffe
    Report
    Apr 18th 2021, 5:35 AM

    @K Flan: the curve is flattened. Sadly the base rate is still over 300 cases per day.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean Callan
    Favourite Sean Callan
    Report
    Apr 17th 2021, 7:26 AM

    Boring boring boring all this lot has to offer

    13
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds