Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Again, I condemn the burning of any building or any arson attempt. A burnt building is no good to anybody. I did not see any places on fire but I am just saying that there were heavy-handed tactics. The community gardaí have to go back to the location today to pick up the pieces. I praise the community gardaí in all our communities, including in Tipperary, for the work they do. They are excellent people, along with other members of An Garda Síochána. Neither I nor my colleagues will be accused of not supporting the Garda. We are 100% in support of the organisation, but it must not use the tactics in question.

In Roscrea, the “soft caps”, as they are called, came in and literally destroyed grandmothers, children and anyone else who was there. It was a totally staged operation for the cameras to further the narrative of the Minister’s friends in the media. The Government has more media advisers now. These people were media people a short time ago but are now with the Government. I do not know where they are going to go when the Government is out of office – perhaps back into the media. It makes a farce of the concept of independent media, and this is another problem. We need the media to report. Thankfully, one or two outlets do. I could not say enough about my local stations in Tipperary but the national media has one narrative, namely to switch people off as they do not matter. The Government will find out that the people matter. They really matter and our solemn duty is to represent them. The Government will find out the reality as soon as it goes to the country. It could bring in more legislation, based on more imaginary problems and unsafeness, to postpone the election. I would not be one bit surprised by such tactics.

The Government has sold our sovereignty to Europe. It has totally abandoned it. The Tánaiste, Deputy Martin, wants to re-examine neutrality and change the triple lock. It is one thing after another and the people can see through it. The Government members seem to have a major dislike of the electorate that elected them, albeit on the 15th or 16th count in some cases. The people are sovereign and thankfully have the ballot box that was fought for by our forefathers to give them the freedom to vote. They cannot and will not be suppressed. We in the Rural Independent Group will not be bullied or intimidated in tabling motions for reasonable debate. There was not even a quorum here this morning. Six Deputies were here. That shows the contempt the Government has for the motions we table.

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