Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Irish Labour Party, I wish to express our deepest sympathy to those affected by the Manchester attack, which was appalling. It is probably no accident that the attack planned for maximum carnage, targeted young women and girls mostly and occurred in the midst of a general election. It is an attack on our democratic values and, in particular, on the innocence of youth.

I wish to echo the words of the Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, who said today:

These were children, young people and their families that those responsible chose to terrorise and kill. This was an evil act.

I offer our deepest sympathies to the victims, their families and the people of Manchester. Ireland has always had strong links with Manchester. Today, more than ever, we stand alongside the community there as they mourn the needless loss of so many young lives. It is in this spirit that the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr, has opened a book of condolences, as have his counterparts in many municipal authorities throughout the country.

I wish to pay tribute to the emergency workers and all the local people in Manchester who have been doing all they can to help in the aftermath of this atrocity. The strength and spirit shown by the community there is the best response to despicable acts of terror.

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