Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

People are right to be passionate and angry about what happened last week. I am angry and disappointed myself because it was an appalling scene to see. Anger, however, is not a policy, and it is disappointing that many people are reducing the issues that faced us last week to hollow slogans and demands for sackings or climbing on their own little hobby horses and claiming that those are behind what has happened here. The reality is that we are in a volatile situation, not only here but across the world, and we need to protect our democracy. It is under attack from people who are criminally trying to manipulate what is happening.

It was equally worrying that we saw young people, who are at risk of seeing this as some sort of outlet, whipped up into this behaviour. We need to consider every aspect of what happened on the streets last week. We need to look at the policing strategies and their capacity to track posts and respond quickly. We need to look at the responsibility of social media platforms. We need to look at support for practical integration within communities in order that this sort of fear that is clearly behind some of this is not developed. We need to ask why some young people get so riled up by what is happening here and if we can respond. We need to reassure people from the immigrant communities, who are so important, that we are on their side and will protect them.

This is a time for cool heads and looking to have a real, honest debate about how we can protect our democracy and our society from these sorts of scenes, which are so disturbing.

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