Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Déanaim comhbhrón le muintir na Fraince agus muintir na daoine a ndúnmharaíodh ag an deireadh seachtaine ar son gach duine sa tír agus iadsan i gContae Lú ach go háirithe. Ní féidir meon na ndaoine a thug faoin ndúnmharú seo a thuiscint. Molaim liberty, equality agus fraternity - rudaí a d'eascair ón Fhrainc. Is iad san bunchloch an náisiúnachais agus an poblachtachais sa tír seo. Ní thuigfidh mé go deo an fáth go dtarlaíonn rudaí ar nós an méid a tharla sa Fhrainc ag an deireadh seachtaine seo caite.

It is difficult for me, as a republican who follows the French republicanism of liberty, equality and fraternity, to understand or appreciate the callous minds of the killers who carried out the appalling outrages in France last weekend and, indeed, before that on the Russians who were killed so appallingly and needlessly by a bomb blast on an airplane as they travelled from their holidays in Egypt.

These are the callous and cowardly acts carried out in the name of ISIS.

Of any city, for most of us, probably the most beautiful city in the world is Paris. It is the centre of history, culture, art and literature. It represents to me and all of the people I know all that is good in our civilisation. The standards and principles of the French Revolution - liberty, égalitéand brotherhood - transcend all boundaries, all creeds and all religions. They are universally acclaimed and acknowledged as the centre of the culture that brought us the rights of man. Since the French overthrew their tyrants during the revolution, notwithstanding the appalling terror that followed, those principles have been universally established and respected. I hold them dear, as we all do in this country. The fact these acts were carried out by those whom we believe to be citizens of France and Belgium - people from our own European civilisation - makes it all the more difficult to understand.

When I saw that France was retaliating, I went on the Internet to see what the city of Raqqa looked like. When I searched Google images, up came the most appalling images I have ever seen. Regrettably, they included images of crucifixions, of beheadings, of a gay person being thrown off a building and of women being stoned to death for adultery. The most barbaric, evil images I have ever seen are what represents ISIS, although, admittedly, this is through a one-word search on the Internet. The question is the clash of cultures and how we can understand, appreciate and come to grips with the people who carry out these appalling acts. We must ask what their misnamed state actually represents and how it appeals to the young people who carried out these barbaric acts in Paris. That is the challenge for all of us in this House and for all of our people.

The last time I stayed in France was during the summer a couple of years ago. My wife and I stayed in the Boulevard Voltairein a three-star hotel, the Grand Hotel Voltaire, which was €100 a night and was a lovely place. My wife and I walked along the boulevard and would have passed many of the places involved, such as the Place de la Bastilleand the Canal St. Martin, were we took a cup of coffee in theHotel du Nord- anybody who knows Paris will know where we are talking about. The acts of evil that were carried out on the citizens and the people visiting Paris last weekend took place in the quietest, loveliest part of Paris. It is an appalling vista which has been visited upon our civilisation by these people.

The thought in my mind, and in everybody's mind, is what caused these young people to carry out these acts. They killed people of their own creed, given many of the people who died were Muslims. When we look on the Internet, we see the faces of young people who were killed in the most appalling way. It reminds me of what happened in our own country. I listened tonight to those who spoke from the opposition benches, including from Sinn Féin. I welcome Sinn Féin into this House. I welcome Deputy Gerry Adams into this House and I share a constituency with him. However, I can never forget the evil acts that Sinn Féin and the IRA carried out in our own country and in my own county. I am reminded of the fact a citizen of Belfast was carried to my county, murdered and buried there in an unmarked grave for over 30 years by so-called republicans. I find that just as unforgivable an act of evil as what has happened in France. Paul Quinn was murdered by paramilitaries, or people unknown, in 2007, when every single bone in his body was broken. He died in the constituency of myself and Deputy Gerry Adams in what was an appalling, evil act.

I acknowledge the thoughtful speeches of the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Deputy Micheál Martin today. We see what ISIS has done in Palmyra, which was a centre of civilisation 2,000 years before Christ. The vandals who destroyed the archaeology, history and culture there are striking at the heart of civilisation. I would say the barbarians are at the gates of Paris. How do we deal with them? The question France has to ask itself is how to deal with the minority community in that beautiful city of Paris. Why did these young people feel so disenfranchised? What is it in their upbringing and culture that makes them object so violently and aggressively? What can we do to make sure it never happens again?

Obviously, the meeting over the weekend of President Obama and President Putin will bring some solace and, hopefully, there may be peace or a ceasefire in Syria, which would certainly help. However, given the fear, the loathing and the hatred in the people who carried out these acts of appalling evil last week, we must look further, into the heart of our society and our civilisation, to discover what is making them hate all of us so much. France needs to reach out to its minorities in a greater way. In our own country, we need to further integrate into our society people of different cultures and religions, and people of no religion. We need to ensure we are very careful about the way our society appears to them, if minorities are on the outside and feel excluded. We need to reach out in our own representation of the equality that they need and are entitled to in our society, and in terms of the fraternity which we must offer them in a way they appreciate and understand.

This is a very important debate and I welcome the opportunity to make my contribution. As I conclude, the one thought that is in my mind is that, in my life and in my community, as a Dáil Deputy, I must reach out to minorities in order to ensure they participate fully, and feel they participate fully, in our society. I utterly, absolutely and unconditionally condemn the barbarity and evil that I saw on my television screen. My heart, as with all our hearts, goes out to the people of France and the families of those who have been murdered so callously and cruelly, and those who have been injured.

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