DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will not introduce hate speech laws, its justice minister said on Saturday, dropping a central part of the response to riots in Dublin last year following criticism from some government lawmakers, opponents and billionaire Elon Musk.

The Republic of Ireland's Minister for Justice has confirmed she has dropped plans to introduce new hate speech laws. Helen McEntee said she would still include the hate crime element in new legislation. She will introduce committee stage amendments to the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022.

Ireland will not introduce hate speech legislation, Justice Minister Helen McEntee announced on Saturday, following criticism from government officials, opponents, and billionaire Elon Musk. The government originally introduced the proposed legislation two years ago, aiming to modernise anti-hate laws deemed outdated for the social media era.

In order to bring forward new hate speech legislation we need consensus, we don’t have that at the moment,’ Ms McEntee said on Saturday.

The Government will drop controversial plans to introduce hate speech laws, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has confirmed after it was revealed in The Irish Times on Saturday. However, the Minister has insisted she will press ahead with the hate crime part of the criminal justice legislation despite it being seen as a row-back on her commitment.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has confirmed she is not pushing ahead with the introduction of new hate speech laws, as revealed in The Irish Times

The Minister for Justice has confirmed she is not moving ahead with plans to introduce new hate speech laws, but she will press ahead with the hate crime element of criminal justice legislation.

The minister intends to press ahead with plans to legislate against physical hate crimes but the parts of the proposed legislation that dealt with hate speech will be left out due

The Government is to drop controversial plans to introduce hate speech laws, which had been criticised by its own backbenchers as well as free speech groups and tech billionaire Elon Musk. The move comes as the latest Irish Times/Ipsos B&A opinion poll shows that a return of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil to government after the next election is the option most favoured by voters.