Peter Fitzpatrick (Louth, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I condemn the barbaric attack on three children and their carer, crèche manager Leanne Flynn, outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire on Thursday, 23 November, and send my prayers to the two people still in hospital.

There seems to be an idea that the Minister for Justice should have a hands-on role in day-to-day policing. The Minister's job is to be very clear on policy, put laws in place and ensure police have the numbers and resources necessary. In September, I and my colleagues in the Regional Group published a motion expressing severe concerns about the ongoing challenges faced by An Garda Síochána. It would therefore be remiss of me to bypass the fact that there is a chronic shortage of resources, which directly impacts the force's ability to carry out its role. However, who the Minister for Justice is does not really deal with the issues we face.

Claims that the riots and public disorder in the aftermath of this attack could have been foreseen, prevented or contained through earlier action are careless and plain wrong. The fact is that the hooligan culture and the criminality issues we face run much deeper than law and order. Initial protests in the city centre on Thursday were organised by anti-immigration figures who were later joined by opportunistic rioters. We all heard the WhatsApp message. "They can't control us all. Let's have little groups splintering off, doing what we got to do," it said. Phrases such as "tool up" and "kill any foreigner" were also used.

Yes, more resources are needed - we can all agree on that. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is absolutely aware of that. She is focusing on her work in the Department of Justice and supporting An Garda Síochána as it keeps us safe and maintains law and order. She is doing her best. We need to stop playing political football. We need to put our heads together and action interventions that target the issues of poverty, criminality and the "them versus us" narrative growing throughout our country's culture, rather than seeing the current situation as an opportunity to take out an individual Minister.

I will support the Minister this evening on the motion of confidence.

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