Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like everyone else, my thoughts are with the five-year-old girl and the crèche worker who are still in hospital after the vicious attack outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire on Parnell Square. Once again, I thank the Garda Síochána, the emergency services, Dublin City Council and any other responders, such as the fire brigade, for their services and the clean-up. I pay tribute to the businesses in Dublin for what they have done and their resilience.

This has come up for a huge amount of discussion among the ordinary public. Events have arisen in my time here in the Dáil when parties have needed to unite. This is one of those occasions. The public are looking in at the moment and they want to see collective action here. What happened on the streets of Dublin was utter thuggery. You can call it any way you want but it is utter thuggery and it needs to be met by all political parties with united force. If parties believe in and espouse democracy, they have a responsibility to work with the Government on this issue.

Sinn Féin members have called for heads and continued with that pattern here today. I ask them to reflect. What has happened is an affront to democracy. There are moments in time when we have to unite on it. There is an attack on democracy happening as we speak. It is unspeakable and I feel strongly we need to operate as a collective. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, will provide for additional Garda resources and additional powers coming through. If Opposition parties have solutions, Government will listen to them, but this episode requires a collective effort. We should be operating in a united fashion. I ask all parties - Sinn Féin, Social Democrats and others - to unite with us to combat this thuggery in the far right. Democracy is at stake in Ireland.

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