Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I will go first, followed by Deputy Kenny and then Deputies Murphy, and Barry. Our full solidarity, sympathy and our hearts go out to the children, their families, the carer and her family, and all in the community who were deeply affected by this horrible and unspeakable act. There are certain grounds for women and children in this country to be fearful of violence because they have forever been subjected to it, both in personal relationships from partners and men who are known to them and from the State in the legacy of things such as the mother and baby homes. Is it not interesting that the fascists - and I will call them fascists not far right - who agitated to have that response the other night never have a word to say about violence against women and children when it is perpetrated by Irish men, and frequently in very unspeakable and horrible ways? They use it to stoke up hatred of migrants, who they say are unvetted, of military age, and are a danger to women and children. I recognise people's fears in this State of violence against women but that is not the response we need. What happened and what followed was an attack on all workers.

I do not believe it is just a law and order response we need to discuss here because fascism is a global phenomenon. It arises out of crises that are created on the globe we live on which is conducted through capitalism. Those crises are crises of war, climate and economies, and fascism thrives in the vacuum those crises create. We can see it everywhere. We know where they have been successful and how they are growing. It is gross inequality that characterises the system under which we live, and unless we challenge that, fascism, hatred and bile will continue to grow. That is why I must absolutely disagree with the Government parties who say we are all in this together and we have to fight this together. Yes, we do have to fight together in our communities, but we have a different message, which is that this Government and consecutive governments have helped to give rise to this by delivering us a housing crisis, a health crisis, a crisis in childcare and a crisis that delivers gross inequality in this society, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer all of the time, and the evidence is all around us. To challenge the politics of fascism, yes, we need unity, but we need an alternative to the system that has bred it, not just now but historically, and will continue to breed it unless we absolutely challenge that fundamental system.

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