Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The country is still reeling from the attack last Thursday. As I speak, one of the children and Leanne Flynn, the heroic crèche worker who put her life on the line, remain in a critical condition in hospital. All our thoughts are with them. Almost immediately after the attack, Irish far-right agitators began to spread their venom through social media. They incited discrimination and stoked up fear and tension in a despicable attempt to blame our migrant population for the attack. They urged their supporters to gather in the city and placed a target on the backs of 20% of our population. The resulting riots that occurred in Dublin last week were horrifying. Rioters assaulted people and looted and burned everything in their path. The hypocrisy of their feigned attempt to protect the women and children of Ireland is simply pathetic. An air of intimidation is now pervasive in the city. Everyone feels unsafe and uneasy thanks to them.

This threatening atmosphere is particularly threatening for our migrant community. We all need to be clear that migrants are welcome in Ireland. They are our family, our friends, our neighbours and our loved ones. A diverse society only benefits our culture and communities, not to mention the fact that the country would grind to a halt without migrant workers who keep whole swathes of our public services and economy afloat. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude for their enormous contribution to our society. It is shameful that many of them now feel unwelcome. What happened on Thursday must be a watershed moment.

I also put on the record my unequivocal support for the rank and file gardaí who did everything they could last week to keep the riots at bay. Along with the whole country, I was in complete awe of their bravery. Unfortunately, the truth is that they were not provided with the resources they needed to do their job safely. The Commissioner's hands-off approach to the far right has resulted in an escalation of violence. Garda management has also been let down by the Government, whose promises of better resources and more recruitment have not materialised.

The Social Democrats, particularly my colleague, Deputy Gannon, have warned for years about the threat of the far right and of criminality in Dublin city centre. The Minister for Justice, the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have always dismissed those concerns. Today, they seek to undermine them by calling them politicking. This is just a blatant and desperate attempt to evade responsibility. The reality is that there are now 514 fewer gardaí in Dublin than there were in 2008, despite the fact that the population has increased by 200,000 people since then. On Thursday, members of the far right did not hide their intention to riot. They were openly rallying support online for everyone to see from early in the day.

The streets were on fire and overtaken by violence and racism, despite the prior warning signs. There must be accountability for that and there must be a change in approach. It is clear that the Commissioner is not capable of understanding and handling the threat of the far right. I have not heard anything from the Minister today that has instilled any confidence in me in her ability to provide this city and the country with the safety and security they desperately need.

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