Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am sure people will sleep soundly in their beds in the knowledge that the custom of presenting the US President with a bowl of shamrock on St. Patrick's Day is set to continue. Everyone was extremely worried about this. I am not sure if the presentation will move from the White House to Trump Tower but perhaps the Taoiseach has some news on that.

On a more serious note, people have noted the swift U-turn the Taoiseach has made in terms of his attitude to the President-elect. Whereas last year, the Taoiseach described Mr. Trump as dangerous and a racist, he now says Mr. Trump is willing to heal wounds. Donald Trump is not willing to heal wounds; he is opening wounds. We see this with the appointment of people such as Steve Bannon, a far-right, anti-Semitic white supremacist who is also a misogynist. We also see it with the appointment of Mike Flynn, who is anti-Muslim and Senator Jeff Sessions, only the second person in the United States to be rejected as a federal judge on account of racism. How are these appointments healing wounds?

With regard to developments in the United States, I have heard journalists and others argue that people should not protest because it is not democratic to do so and Mr. Trump has been elected. The right to protest is part of democracy. Minorities in the United States, whether black people, women or immigrants, are not stupid. Since the election of Donald Trump, racist attacks have increased more than 600 fold. In the week or two since Mr. Trump's election, the number of racist attacks has equated to the number normally recorded in six months. I salute those who are sending Mr. Trump a message that they will not take this lying down.

On Vice President-elect Mike Pence, the Taoiseach sent a gushing tweet over the weekend in which he said Mr. Pence certainly knows Ireland and the issues that matter to Irish people. Last year, Irish people turned out in droves for the same sex marriage referendum. Vice President-elect Pence is bitterly opposed to same sex marriage and has argued, for example, that resources should be provided for conversion therapy to assist those seeking to change their sexual behaviour. How is that in accordance with the views of Irish people?

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