The Tánaiste says the rate of homophobic attacks in Ireland is 'extremely worrying.'
Speaking to the Journal, Leo Varadkar says there's a feeling in the gay community that these attacks are on the rise.
It follows the assault of 26-year-old Mark Sheehan in the early hours of Sunday morning. He was the victim of an unprovoked homophobic attack on a Dublin Bus, which left him with serious facial injuries.
The Tanaiste hopes firmer laws on hate crime will reduce incidents like these;
"I don't 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. I know the Minister for Justice has spoken to the Garda commissioner about that."
