Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The attack on schoolchildren and a member of staff in Parnell Square last Thursday was a horrific event. My thoughts are with the injured children and the member of staff who was injured while protecting the children. I commend those who prevented a much greater tragedy from occurring and thank the Garda and emergency services for preventing greater destruction in our city. This terrible event does not justify attacks on gardaí, the burning of public transport or the looting of shops. A small minority took advantage of this tragic event to engage in criminal and thuggish behaviour. There was no concern on the part of those people for what happened to these children. Their only achievement on Thursday night was to frighten decent people out and about in town and put at risk of injury people and staff of local businesses, some of whom might even be their neighbours or family members.

Thursday night was a clear illustration of the ugly face of the far right fascists and racists who are behind this and other incidents that happened across the country. They have been using misinformation, disinformation and increasingly violent rhetoric, especially on social media, to spread lies and false narratives targeting not just immigrants but also members of the LGBTQ+ community. In my own area, there have been attacks on buildings and the targeting of immigrants and people from other ethnic backgrounds. Buildings have been set on fire. People have been intimidated and attacked verbally and physically. The threatening language and disruptive behaviour of the far right have escalated. They are more emboldened in their activities as they see no sanction for their behaviour. The approach taken by the leadership of the Garda to the far right has not frustrated their activities and has, in fact, given them the idea they have a free hand to do what they like. The events of Thursday night are a consequence of such an approach.

A new proactive approach has to be taken by the Garda. I have been raising the issue of the lack of Garda resources in the Dáil and at every other available forum for a long time now. The use of Garda overtime is no remedy for the lack of extra personnel on the ground. I thank those in Ballymun For All and Finglas For All for the work they have done in rallying their communities to combat the vitriolic abuse directed at vulnerable people and supporting them at this time.

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