Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I condemn anyone who would burn or damage anyone's property. I condemn anyone who would go out on a violent protest. I do not condemn people who go out and protest peacefully. I refer to people who wish to meet in a community to discuss what is happening in their area because of the lack of information from the Government. One thing the Government and the Departments are guilty of is not letting the local communities know what they are thinking of doing in their areas. The people in the community should be the first to be contacted. What the Government has done is that it has scared people. It has scared people in their own communities by not informing them and not, via dialogue, telling them what is happening. This is not right. The Government is guilty of this. The people that burn down buildings are guilty of what they have done and they should get the full rigours of the law brought down on top of them. The Government, however, should be held to account for the people in communities it does not inform. It should stop scaring families and good community people. It should stop putting out the wrong message when communities meet to discuss these things or people have a peaceful protest. They are there for the good of the people they want to get into their areas and not there for violence.

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