http://www.theparliament.com/latest-news/article/newsarticle/irish-government-minister-attacks-reprehensible-rhetoric-of-some-eu-politicians/#.UP_6DGdBDyI Irish justice minister Alan Shatter has warned the EU "not to ignore" a rise in anti-Semitism.

Addressing a ceremony to mark the international holocaust remembrance day, Shatter spoke of a "corrosive rise" in racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric by a "malign minority" of politicians in some member states.

While he did not name names, it is believed he was referring to political figures such as Geert Wilders, the Dutch far right politician.

Shatter said, "It is a moral imperative that we unequivocally repudiate the reprehensible rhetoric of those who seek to contaminate our political discourse and attempt to inflame dangerous prejudice."

Shatter, whose portfolio also covers equality and defence, was a keynote speaker at the event in parliament on Tuesday.

He added, "We must do more to end intolerance, racism and anti-Semitism."

Shatter, who was speaking for the Irish EU presidency at the event, also attended by parliament's president Martin Schulz, said the message should have special significance on the day the world remembered those murdered in Nazi death camps.

He said, "However, it is not enough to remember. We must also remember to act."

His demand coincides with the launch of a report which says that hate crime is a "daily reality" throughout the EU.

The report by the EU agency for fundamental rights (FRA), said that violence and offences motivated by racism, xenophobia, religious intolerance are all examples of hate crime, which it says is on the increase.

It states, "To combat hate crime, the EU and its member states need to make these crimes more visible and hold perpetrators to account.

"Greater political will is needed on the part of decision makers to counter pervasive prejudice against certain groups and compensate for the damage.

"Victims and witnesses should therefore be encouraged to report such crimes, and legislation should be adopted at EU and national levels obliging member states to collect and publish hate-crime data.

"This would serve to acknowledge victims of hate crime, in line with requirements stemming from the case law of the European court of human rights.

"To hold perpetrators better to account, legislators should also consider enhanced penalties for hate crimes to stress the severity of these offences, while courts rendering judgments should address bias motivations publicly, making it clear that they lead to harsher sentences."

FRA director Morten Kjaerum said, "Hate crimes create an 'us and them' mentality that does tremendous psychological damage.

"They undermine the basic democratic tenets of equality and non-discrimination. Hate crimes thus harm not only the victim, but also other people belonging to the same group – many of whom are terrified that they will become the next target – and society as a whole.

"To counter this, the EU and its member states need to ensure both that such crimes are made visible, and that offenders are made to answer for the damage they have done."

The report offers a comparative analysis of official data collection mechanisms on hate crime in member states.

It says the scope of official data collection can be broadened to enable member states to meet obligations towards victims of hate crime