John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this important matter.

This week, while speaking to constituents in the Portobello area, I was informed about the spraying of racist graffiti on Jewish sites in the area. I took note of the complaint and I hoped to investigate the matter further but yesterday while walking through the same area I was astonished to see graffiti on a house in Bloomfield Avenue, which had been the subject of a previous incident. I was informed the attack had occurred the night previously at approximately 3.30 a.m.and that a number of Jewish landmarks in the Portobello area and beyond had been targeted. Among them was the Jewish Museum on Walworth Road. In most instances a swastika had been sprayed on the wall and sometimes if the culprit had time, an SS sign was added for good measure. We all know that graffiti is unsightly and costs a fair amount of money to remove, but this vandalism has much more sinister undertones. This is naked racism, anti-Semitism and even neo-Nazism raising its head. It simply cannot be tolerated in a civilised and democratic society.

The Garda and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in whose constituency this took place must take these incidents seriously. I understand this is the third such incident in a short period. It was well planned and calmly executed, probably to coincide with VE day and the liberation of the concentration camps in Nazi Germany. Only recently we heard the moving testimonies of members of the Irish Jewish community who had suffered in the concentration and death camps. Their message for a future generation was clear, we cannot afford to forget the Holocaust or its victims because unless we are vigilant, history could at some time repeat itself. Clearly there is still a small number of deviant individuals who support the racial policies of the Third Reich and it is they, I believe, who were responsible for this anti-Semitic graffiti.

There has been some suggestion that Muslim extremists could have been responsible. However, I do not believe this to be the case. I have spoken to members of the Muslim community and they not only condemn such action but see it as entirely counter-productive to their own cause in Palestine.

My constituents wish to see an end to these incidents. The Portobello area is a beautiful part of Dublin consisting of terraced houses, which used to be a Jewish neighbourhood many years ago. It retains many Jewish landmarks and this gives the area its distinctive appeal. Some people have informed me that neo-Nazi stickers have appeared in the Camden Street area and white supremacist leaflets were also distributed. The rise of racist groups, even if they are a small minority of people, should be a matter of concern for all of us. The Ireland we all grew up in has changed enormously. Ireland and particularly the area around Portobello and the South Circular Road has become multicultural. These immigrants have contributed enormously to our economy and they add to the variety and vibrancy of the locality. The majority of Irish people have welcomed them. It is up to the political leaders to ensure that political racism does not raise its ugly head and gain a foothold in any community. It should be nipped in the bud, as quickly as possible. I am calling on the Minister today to ensure that priority is given to these incidents and that they are not simply ignored as minor incidents and that the perpetrators are brought to justice very quickly.

There is adequate legislation to pursue them and if there is not, I ask the Minister to inform the House of any loopholes in the legislation. These people are guilty of incitement to hatred as well as defacing property. History tells us that the Nazis moved from Kristallnacht to Aryan purity laws to the Holocaust in a short space of time. There can be no complacency about this matter. To ignore these incidents is to ignore the Jewish victims of Nazi terror.

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter on the Adjournment. I am deputising this evening for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform who is unable to be present due to other commitments.

The Minister has condemned in the strongest possible terms the disgusting and cowardly vandalism and daubing of Jewish landmarks in south-east Dublin in the past 48 hours. He has sought and received assurances from the Garda Síochána that this disgraceful and anti-Semitic activity will be fully investigated and that the perpetrators, if detected, will be prosecuted with the utmost vigour.

The Minister has spearheaded the Government's drive to combat anti-Semitism by means of the Holocaust memorial day, an event funded by his Department and in which he plays a public role each year. Dublin's Jewish community will receive every protection against this kind of behaviour and the Garda will protect its landmarks as appropriate.

On 10-11 May 2005, the Jewish Museum on Walworth Road, Dublin 8, was vandalised. The Garda at Kevin Street station have commenced an investigation and all resources required by the investigating officers to identify and apprehend the culprits responsible are being made available. Previous similar type incidents of vandalism at the same location have occurred during the past six months and are the subject of ongoing investigation by the Garda Síochána. All patrolling gardaí from Kevin Street station are devoting extra attention to the area with a view to bringing about a cessation of these acts of vandalism.

The manifestations of such a mentality must be dealt with in legislation.

The Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 created an offence of publishing or distributing material or using words or behaviour that are threatening, abusive or insulting and are intended or are likely to stir up hatred. I understand the Act is working well. "Hatred" is defined as hatred against a group of persons in the State or elsewhere on account of their race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origins, membership of the Travelling community or sexual orientation. Public incitement to racial hatred is a criminal offence under sections 2 and 3 of the Act in terms of material, written or oral, which is threatening, abusive or insulting.

The Garda authorities, conscious of the importance of the recording and monitoring of incidents that are motivated by anti-Semitism, racism, sectarianism, homophobia and xenophobia have, since October 2002, through the Garda PULSE computer system, put in place a mechanism to record and gather information on racist incidents and offenders nationwide. Furthermore, the Garda racial and intercultural office, which was established in 2001, co-ordinates, monitors and advises on all aspects of policing in the area of ethnic and cultural diversity. Personnel in that office monitor all incidents to ensure the PULSE system accurately records all such offences. Where such incidents occur, the Garda Síochána ensures that an investigation is pursued with reference mainly to the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 and the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989, these being the main relevant legislative instruments pertaining to crime of this type.

More generally, and underpinning the Government's commitment to accommodate and respect cultural diversity in Ireland, the Government published its national action plan against racism in January. The overall aim of the plan is to provide strategic direction to combat racism and to develop a more inclusive, intercultural society in Ireland based on commitment to inclusion by design, not as an add-on or an afterthought, and based on policies that promote interaction, equality of opportunity, understanding and respect. The steering group monitoring the implementation of the action plan is looking at protection issues, protection being one of the five pillars of the plan. The first meeting of the group takes place next week and I am sure it will consider these sinister developments in light of its ongoing work.

One of the key objectives of the plan is to provide effective protection and redress against racism, including a focus on discrimination, threatening behaviour and incitement to hatred. Clearly the Garda Síochána has a very important role in this and it has done considerable work, including the establishment of the Garda racial and intercultural office, the appointment of 145 ethnic liaison gardaí and the development of training methods for policing a more diverse society.

The local community and ethnic liaison officer for the Portobello area is attached to Kevin Street Garda station. He is assisted by the dedicated officer for the St. Kevin's neighbourhood watch area, which was established in 1987. The duties of this dedicated officer include attendance at monthly meetings with members of the neighbourhood watch scheme. The Minister has been informed by the Garda authorities that all patrolling gardaí in the area are devoting extra special attention to the area concerned with a view to bringing about a cessation of these incidents of vandalism. We all wish the Garda success in this regard.

The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, will not tolerate attacks on members of minorities in our society, and the same is true for all Members of this House, including me. Our society has no place for people who carry out this type of crime. Graffiti writers, when apprehended, are arrested and charged under the Criminal Damage Act 1991.