Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The events we saw in Dublin last Thursday have shocked decent people across the country. Three innocent little children and their carer were attacked. The city was in shock and our thoughts remain with those affected. Later, shops were looted and buses were set on fire, and there were open attacks on members of the Garda. The message this House needs to send out loud and clear tonight to the thugs and degenerates responsible is one of zero tolerance.

Yet, when unity was needed, what did Sinn Féin do? It grandstanded and played politics. To hear it lecturing about the rule of law just sickens me. Mary Lou McDonald says she has no confidence in the Minister for Justice or the Garda Commissioner. This is the same Mary Lou who welcomed Jonathan Dowdall with open arms into her party and, indeed, took donations from him. She had a councillor in her own backyard who was a torturer and who helped to facilitate murder. She stands here and talks about policing this country; she cannot even police her own party. She is saying the Garda should know what is coming. Did she see it coming?

When I look at the actions of extremist groups such as the far right, what do I see? I see anonymous trolls spreading bile, vitriol and hatred on social media, attacking every person who does not share their warped views. Who does that remind you of? Sinn Féin, more than any other party, has introduced nastiness and divisiveness into Irish politics. We saw it again at the weekend when a member of its Front Bench said Helen McEntee needed to be taken out. I am around long enough to know what the term "taken out" means, especially as I live on the Border.

I trust our gardaí to look after our citizens. I trust their judgment a lot more than anyone sitting opposite. Under the Government, including the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, 800 new Garda recruits are coming on board this year. Every class coming through Templemore is bigger than the last one. We want to see more gardaí on our streets.

Crime in our society is changing. Whether through the use of bodycams, facial recognition technology, dog units or water cannons, this Government will act and give the Garda the tools it needs to do its job and keep our streets safe.

Let us be clear tonight: where force is needed, force should be applied. We must trust our gardaí to know when that is appropriate and proportionate. That is their job and I trust them to do it and to do it well. What is more is I trust Deputy Helen McEntee as our Minister for Justice.

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