McEntee dismisses accusations Fine Gael is focusing too much on ‘woke’ issues
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has dismissed claims that she and the Government are focusing too much on “woke” issues, and said that it is just a “flippant term that people use to criticise”.
Ms McEntee told the at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis in Galway that reaction against the hate speech bill has been “overblown” and there is a “lot of misinformation” out there about it.
“The misconception is it will criminalise people’s opinions. That is absolutely not the case,” she said.
“I appreciate there are some elements that can be improved. What it would do is criminalise people who are targeting others simply because of who they are… because of the colour of their skin, their sexual orientation, because of perhaps where they’ve come from.”
She said she’s been working on amendments to take on concerns people have raised about the bill.
Ms McEntee said what is “lost” in the debate is that the bill is about protecting people, but that she would work together with the party on it.
She said she knows what people “intend to mean” when they say Fine Gael has gone “woke” as a party but said it is a “flippant term that people throw about to criticise”.
In the wake of the Government’s defeat in the care and family referendums, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he did not see himself as “woke” after criticism from Senator Michael McDowell.
The Justice Minister said her work is about law and order in society, and that “anybody who throws around the term ‘woke’… what does that mean? I think it’s just an easy way to criticise”.
On the topic of whether she’d retain the justice portfolio under Mr Harris as Taoiseach, Ms McEntee said it is a “difficult decision for any new leader to make”.
“I trust Simon’s judgement no matter what he decides to do,” she said. However, she said there are “lots of things” she’d like to “finish” in her role as Justice Minister.
“I would love to be able to see that through the first year as well. I’m very conscious as leader of the party and Taoiseach he has to make decisions that are right for the country and that are right for us as an overall team.”
Despite many of her party colleagues having decided to step down at the next general election, Ms McEntee said that leaving politics is not something she would consider at this stage.
“People in this day and age, I know people who changed their careers two or three times in the last decade,” she said.
“And that’s normal. Sometimes it doesn’t work for your family. It’s a fairly intense job. People have to do what’s right for them and their families.
“I’m not ready to leave now. If that time came, I’d make that decision for my family and what’s right for me. But I’ve a lot more to give to this party.”
