Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

Last week, during this session, I raised with the Taoiseach the arson attack on St. John's House, which was due to house families who are seeking international protection here, and the Taoiseach correctly condemned that. Unfortunately, there was another arson attack on the same building this morning, which is two arson attacks in a week. Last week, I raised with the Taoiseach the need for private security for these buildings to ensure they are not targeted because there is clearly an orchestrated campaign of terror to try to prevent us from taking and welcoming those who are seeking international protection. Clearly, there was some security because it emerged, for example, that there was a woman in the building last week, and it is thankful that the fire did not take off because she could have been killed, and that is obviously where this can go. The State needs to take this more seriously in terms of protecting these buildings.

It was also the scene of a quite horrendous incident - it is interesting that the far right chose to promote it - where a female Garda was called every possible thing under the sun, including some really disgusting, abusive stuff. I would say that the impact of people seeing that sort of language and abuse, and the violence of the arson attacks, has been to turn people in the area against the far right. Whenever there are these crazy rumours about 3,500 unvetted men, it is an attempt to create fear. When the truth gets out and it turns out to be 350 people, including families, who are seeking international protection, many people want to welcome them. However, people are also rightly horrified and repelled by the violence, the abuse and the misogyny represented by those who would just seek to divide, spread fear and tear down our communities.

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