Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I send my solidarity and that of the Right2Change party to the victims of last Thursday's horrific violent attack. There are no words to describe something like this and I wish everyone affected a full recovery. I thank the heroes who responded to the attack and I condemn the violence against gardaí, emergency services and workers in the city on Thursday evening. The children and community around the school need support in the aftermath of the serious attack. I would like the Minister to outline exactly what Government support has been provided. This is a deeply traumatic incident. What aftercare services are in place for everyone affected? What extra privacy and security measures are there around the school? People have been affected by the riots. Those include retail workers, people who work in the emergency services and people who were attacked or racially abused. It follows they also need aftercare. Will the Minister outline what will be provided?

Has Dublin City Council declared a major emergency for the initial attack on the school as part of the major emergency framework plan? Does the Minister support extra penalties to be introduced for attacks on workers in the city, workers in general, similar to those in place for attacks on emergency workers?

The riots were fuelled by disinformation and deliberate incitement on social media by the far right in this country and internationally. What measures will be put in place to target the growing use of social media to spread disinformation, hate crimes and incitement? The Garda knows who these people are. Will the kid-glove approach directed by the Commissioner be dropped?

People have been trying to tell the Government that the feeling out there on the streets among immigrants, people of colour and anti-racists in the general community is one of growing danger. It has been building for years. We saw it on Sandwith Street and have seen it all year round outside direct provision centres. We needed to act five years ago but absolutely need to act now. The far-right actors who are committing and inciting acts of violent disruption need to be dealt with immediately.

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