Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is probably a matter for the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Coveney, but I agree wholeheartedly with the Deputy. When one looks at what has happened in this country, specifically in the past nine or ten years, one sees the amount of people who have become Irish citizens. They are black and white and from different races and ethnic backgrounds. It has been fantastic to see how many people have become new Irish citizens. I accept that my party was in government at the time, but I take this opportunity to applaud the then Minister and former Deputy, Alan Shatter, for introducing that policy, which was continued by the current Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, and his predecessor, Frances Fitzgerald.

I understand that a number of protests are planned for the weekend. Anybody who intends to protest should take account of the public health guidelines. The citizens of Ireland have done a fantastic job over the past three months to combat Covid-19. I call on people to continue that great work. I saw some of the scenes the other evening of people protesting in Dublin over this barbaric tragedy that happened in America. It should never have happened. However, if people come out and protest this weekend, I ask them to take social distancing into account. I do not want to stop protests but there is a time and a place when we can do that, namely, when we emerge from this dangerous pandemic. I do not want to stop people from expressing their frustration at what happened. It did not happen in Ireland, it happened in the United States of America. I do not believe it would ever happen in Ireland.

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