Holly Cairns (Cork South-West, Social Democrats)

For decades, Sr. Stan was a campaigner and advocate for the most marginalised in our society. We could all learn from her. Our thoughts are with her family today.

I congratulate President-elect Catherine Connolly. She will be a President for all and will be missed in this House, but we know she will serve with the same integrity, diligence and compassion she served with here.

“The house is on fire ... Please answer". This is what a terrified 12-year-old child texted to her mum on Friday after an arson attack on her home, an IPAS centre in Drogheda. In total, 28 people lived in that IPAS centre, the majority of them women and children. Four children, including a two-week-old baby, had to be rescued from the top floor of the building. Little children who came to this country seeking sanctuary are now terrified, traumatised and living in fear. This is where anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric has led us - a violent attack on vulnerable people that could easily have led to children being killed.

I commend the emergency services in Drogheda for their quick action. I also acknowledge that the majority of people in Drogheda and across the country are disgusted by what happened, because this attack is a new low, but is anyone surprised it has come to this? There have been 30 arson attacks on IPAS centres, or proposed centres, in recent years. We have witnessed rioting on our streets and there have been numerous public order incidents and protests outside IPAS centres.

What has the Government's response been to this increasingly volatile atmosphere? It has been to ratchet up its use of inflammatory language and stoke further fears. Mere days after rioting broke out in Citywest, Simon Harris suggested migration numbers, including the number of people here on work permits, were too high. Then, after the despicable arson attack on Friday night, the Government moved immediately to talk about charging those in direct provision for accommodation. You could not make it up. That is not to mention that a callous proposal to reduce accommodation entitlements for people from Ukraine to just 30 days has also just been signed off. Where is the emergency stand-alone meeting on safety concerns for people in international protection? Where is the emergency meeting about increasing levels of violent hate in our communities? Where is the emergency meeting to discuss how to counter the dangerous lies being peddled by far-right agitators online?

This Government has failed miserably to deliver on its own commitments on housing and critical public services. Instead of taking responsibility for that, however, it is now pointing fingers at immigrants-----

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