Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We all have our different angles in regard to this. In recent years, millions of people have marched on the streets of Barcelona to demand, in a very colourful and dignified way, the right to vote in a legally binding and democratic referendum on independence from Spain. Just last week, on 11 September, Catalonia's national day, 1.5 million people joined the annual pro-referendum march.

Recent polls indicate that 70% of Catalans, not all of whom are pro-independence, want a referendum. Some will vote "No" in the referendum, but they all want the right to vote. The current Catalan Government was elected in January 2016 on a legitimate and reasonable platform which stated it would establish a binding referendum on independence. Despite the best attempts of the Catalan Government, the Spanish Government continues to deny this democratic mandate and the demands of the Catalan people for a democratic referendum.

My understanding is that a majority of the members of the democratically elected Catalan Parliament have approved legislation to allow a binding independence referendum to take place on 1 October 2017. Yesterday, some disturbing events unfolded in Catalan when the Guardia Civil raided the headquarters of the Catalan Government, arresting 14 high-ranking civil servants and public officers and entered the offices of at least one major political party. That is unprecedented in recent times.

Furthermore, in recent days armed police have visited newspaper officers, shut down websites and raided storage warehouses and printing centres, seizing voting boxes, ballot papers and political posters. More than 700 Catalan mayors who support the referendum have been threatened with judicial prosecution. The President of the Catalan Government said Spain has now de facto suspended self-government and applied a de facto state of emergency. He described the move as an unacceptable situation in a democracy, and I agree with him. What is the position of the Irish Government?

When elected officials are detained for political reasons and ballot boxes for a popular and demographic referendum are seized, we have to speak out. If we do not, who will? When newspapers are threatened and democracy is denied, surely we have to say, "Stop. Enough is enough."

These raids and arrests have triggered massive demonstrations, all of which were peaceful despite some provocation in some areas, and which saw tens of thousands of Catalans demand the most basic of rights - the right to vote in a democratic referendum. In this country, we would like to see more and more people vote yet in this other part of the world, they are telling people that they cannot vote. Thousands of people in the Basque country and Galicia have also taken to the streets in support of their Catalan brothers and sisters.

These unprecedented attacks on fundamental rights and civil and political liberties are putting democracy in Catalonia at risk. Does the Minister of State share my concerns about these events? Is she in any way uncomfortable or even disturbed that government departments in Catalonia are being raided and that civil servants are being arrested for purely legitimate, and I would argue, reasonable demands for a referendum on independence?

See this speech in context