Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I articulate my support for the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and for this motion as a Government colleague and as a TD for Dublin Central. Before I outline the reasons for my support for the Minister, I want to address what was a disgraceful and at times disturbing speech by the Leader of the Opposition.

In her speech, she alleged that it was up to two weeks before Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire heard from Government representatives. Not only is that wrong, the Deputy also knows it is wrong. She knows it is wrong and yet she makes the charge, continuing a form of politics which is about division, sowing distrust and undermining the good intentions of anyone in this Chamber who does not sit with her. The Deputy does so to create the perception - the illusion - of a State that is uncaring and does not engage. Nowhere in the Deputy's contribution or from any of her party's speakers thus far was there recognition that within hours of this terrible tragedy and the terrible trauma inflicted on the school I am privileged to represent as one of the Members of this House, that National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, workers, representatives of the State, were engaging with them and supporting them. The Deputy seeks to create the perception of an uncaring, unfocused State not capable of responding at a time of great need. The reality is that politicians on these benches were contacting the school, which is really only beside the point, because what they needed was care, support and engagement at a professional level from our psychologists, from the Department of Education and from the HSE, which was provided to them.

That is what they needed and it was made available.

They are the facts. What Deputy McDonald seeks to do here is create instead a vision and a rhetoric of lack of care and lack of compassion. She can question this Government and she can question any member of this House on the grounds of their competence or of what they have done. It is when she seeks to challenge people on the basis of their compassion and care that she moves into the kind of politics that is incapable of providing solidarity and incapable of providing unity exactly at a time when communities and all those who were affected by those dark moments need them.

Let me say this. I have experienced what those awful moments have done to the communities that I am privileged to represent. There is nobody I would rather have represent this State as Minister for Justice than Deputy Helen McEntee. Her compassion, empathy and steeliness in rising to this challenge are what we need. We know we have more work to do and we know that more needs to be done, but exactly at the moment that our country needed unity, Sinn Féin offered division. When our communities needed stability, it offered instability. When people wanted calmness and moderation, all it had was a loud and angry voice. We have a Minister who understands what needs to be done and who is doing it, and because of that, she has my support and that of the Government.

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