The Equality Minister says the Government will 'work on' legislating for hate crime.

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin was responding to calls for crimes - including assault, sexual offences and theft motivated by racism or homophobia - to be recorded as such in Ireland.

Research by a group from University of Limerick has found that under-reporting of such crimes is a huge problem.

The report also found a large variance across the country on how judges treat hate crimes.

At present, there are no specific categories for hate crimes in the Irish criminal justice system, making it difficult to prosecute hate-fuelled or racially motivated misdemeanours.

Co-director of the University of Limerick Hate and Hostility Research Group, Jennifer Schweppe, said: "While the state claims that hate crime is being adequately addressed, our research shows that in fact it lives in the shadows, largely invisible in the criminal justice process. There has been a system-wide failure to recognise the harms of hate and to provide victims with appropriate protection under the law."

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has published proposed legislation that would allow for those who victimise a person based on their identity to be prosecuted.

Minister Ó Ríordáin says he will be engaging with minority groups on the issue:

Amanda Haynes is co-director of the University of Limerick Hate and Hostility Research Group.

She told Newstalk Breakfast the recording of hate offences is a big part of the problem.