Annie Hoey (Labour)
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Every single politician or elected representative, indeed every single person, should see what the Far Right Observatory has to say. It is useful in clarifying where we are at, in particular following some of the disappointing comments that were put on record. I am not proud of deportations. Driving that narrative home is very unhelpful at this particular time. I have a lot of thoughts on the reference to pride in deporting people for whatever reasons.

If I can, I will bring it down to the local level. A lot of critique is thrown at the "for all" groups. It is suggested that they are just after popping up because this has happened; that they have appeared out of nowhere and they are asked where they have been all of this time. We know that community activists have been doing this work for decades. Ballymun for All would not have come together so quickly had there not been people doing this work of a long time. It is a frustrating narrative to hear that, not just from the other side but within the milieu. When other "for all" groups try to set up, people come in and ask who they are and what they are doing. I was at one of these meetings. That is in spite of there being seasoned activists in the room who have been doing the grind in their communities, yet someone comes in and asks: "Who are you anyway? I have never seen you." That is very frustrating.

I ask the witnesses to forgive me for focusing specifically on Ballymun for All. They have been doing work for a very long time in the school and in Axis. I say this to assist journalists, who sometimes report on these meetings, and others who are listening or watching. I refer to the work that has been done before the "for all" movement. If we could separate the current work, which is the "for all" movements from what has been happening before, some of the work has been done in communities for a long time, for example, in Ballymun in particular, has laid the groundwork for the likes of Ballymun for All to come together. We do not have people from the other "for all" groups to answer this, but it might be useful for people to hear that.