Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Those who live and work here, who walk these streets, who have grown up in Dublin and who love this city, know the score - the broken lives, broken spirits, broken health and bodies of the walking wounded. The Government refers to them as vulnerable. I call them the brutalised, the forgotten, failed by government after government, by a system and a State that grinds them up and allows them to fall through the cracks and then wrings its hands in faux outrage when we reach a horrific flashpoint. I refer to those who call the streets their home. Governments should be held to account for the hardship that these people endure. Small children should never have to witness it or to shoulder that traumatising burden. These people congregate in huddles in the city centre. They have nowhere to go once the hostels chuck them out in the morning. They gather every day at the Garden of Remembrance opposite Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire. Each and every one of them has their own heartbreaking story. They hang around.

On Thursday, 23 November, a random individual was hanging around the school. It was nothing new or particularly alarming there, but on this day, a knife was produced, wounds were inflicted, blood was spilt, children screamed, sirens wailed, word spread and parents, with their hearts in their mouths, ran to the school. The panic was overwhelming. Their fear was whether their little one was hurt. For three families, the news was not good. The nightmare of every parent came to pass. For Leanne Flynn's family, a horrifying reality dawned.

Let me be clear. The only person responsible for that stabbing nightmare is the perpetrator. Those responsible for the riot are the rioters. But it is the responsibility of the Minister for Justice to ensure that our streets are safe and to ensure An Garda Síochána have the resources it needs. She failed abysmally in these responsibilities, with very dire consequences. Bhí an tAire, An Teachta McEntee, i gceannas nuair a thit an phóilíneacht inár bpríomhchathair as a chéile. Ní féidir léi fanacht sa phost. Caithfidh sí imeacht. For a very long time now, our streets have not been safe. Despite communities and businesses crying it from the rooftops, there has been no step change or urgency from the Government. That change must start now. Even in these darkest of times, I believe we can turn the tide back in favour of community. With the right policies and determination from the Government, confidence in public safety can be restored and strengthened. Our communities and the gardaí who we send out to uphold public safety deserve that. It is time to make public safety the priority, to give gardaí the support and resources they need, to put more gardaí on the streets and to invest in strong, compassionate communities.

The Taoiseach says we are politicising this issue. Let me say it clearly: There is nothing more political than keeping people safe. In fact, the first responsibility of any government worthy of the name is to keep its citizens safe. To make sure this happens, we need a major change of direction. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, has proven incapable of providing the leadership, direction and the purpose needed to make our streets and communities safe. The Minister's position is untenable and she must go.

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