Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The recent arson attacks on buildings in our communities across the length and breadth of the State are to be condemned in the strongest possible terms, irrespective of what future plans were in place for those buildings. Peaceful protest is a right we must protect and celebrate in an open democracy. Arson is a criminal act that puts lives in danger. The people who claim to put Irish people first are the same people who are cheerleading these attacks. They put fire brigade officers at risk of serious injury or worse. They create a climate of fear for those who own buildings or live near them by spreading lies and misinformation on social media. Unfortunately, the poor communication strategy by the Government seems to create a dangerous vacuum at times. These people have little support in our communities and I know that this Saturday's March in the centre of Dublin will attract a massive crowd of people who support human beings being supported. The last such march in Dublin attracted tens of thousands of people from all over the country. This is the message we need to send out to the people who spread hate and fear in our communities.

I note the lack of action by social media companies, which I mentioned earlier. I have given up trying to understand what they mean when they talk about their so-called "community standards". I have reported numerous blatantly racist statements on all social media platforms and not a single post or comment has been found to breach their community standards. These companies have a responsibility and should be held accountable for the spreading of hate and their toleration of racism. If they do not act responsibly, it is up to the Government to take action to force them to remove hate-filled racist posts or be held accountable.

An Garda Síochána must be given all the resources it requires to catch these people and ensure they face the full rigours of the law. Gardaí are under serious pressure in our communities on all fronts due to the failure to reach recruitment targets. In my community, I recently met with exasperated business community leaders in Tyrrelstown who are experiencing a growing number of attacks on their businesses and serious thefts from their shops. This threatens their viability, thereby threatening jobs in that community.

It is deeply worrying that nobody has been charged with any of the attacks to date. This may only embolden them and encourage others to escalate their attacks on even the flimsiest of evidence and false or fake news. These attacks occur across the State. Are these seemingly co-ordinated attacks being dealt with in a co-ordinated way by An Garda Síochána? It may be time to establish a special task force to co-ordinate a response to these arson attacks and the rise in hate and racism.

See this speech in context