Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

-----in support of the people concerned because it took courage and they also came under attack. One can only imagine what the stories currently going out of this country are like. It is just one country. If we cast our minds back to the early Irish immigrants who went to America, one wonders what it would have been like if that community had come under the very same kind of attack. It is vital this is nipped in the bud. We must be aware this could just as easily happen in the South in socially deprived times. It is important we show solidarity with the people who came out and with the agencies in the North while at the same time remain careful in any language we use to ensure we do not inflame passions. It must be borne in mind that this was not individual thuggery, it is quite clear there was an organised hand behind this incident. The question that arises is whose hand was it. We must be careful that we do not hand over to some particular group the opportunity to do so again in the future.