Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What I think is reprehensible is that Deputy Daly seems to be suggesting that the tragedy in Paris is the fault of the French Government as opposed to madmen, who are fundamentalists and who want to destroy the way of life that cities like Paris represent. Paris is multicultural, multi-ethnic and multi-colourful. No city in the world has more mixed marriages than Paris. It is a place I had the privilege to live in as a student for a period. The suggestion in this House that we should be looking at ourselves to blame for what happened on the streets of Paris is reprehensible. France has an obligation to defend itself. We all have an obligation to work together in the European Union to protect our own citizens, in Ireland, France and everywhere else.

In that context, we will make decisions in a way that is consistent with our laws and Irish neutrality, which is settled policy in Ireland and which I support. I am certainly not going to start lecturing other countries about how they should protect their citizens in the context of what has just happened.

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