Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

Yesterday I made the point that I believe there are people on the sidelines waiting to exploit the anger and emotion which exists during the present economic crisis. I do not believe these people genuinely want any resolution to the present problem. What we saw yesterday mirrored exactly the point that I was making. I suggested that we should look closely at what is happening in Greece where we saw it as peaceful protest initially, then becoming violent and eventually becoming exceptionally extreme. People will be listening closely to every word we utter in this House, in the Dáil and in public as well. I do not believe we have reached as yet the ultimate of this type of protest. I agree fully that the majority of those protesting yesterday were good, decent young people who were exercising a democratic right, but Senator Harris has put his finger on it. All the various protests which have taken place in this city and other parts of the country have invariably been hijacked. Yesterday, I walked right through the crowd and could see the two elements there, but what I also saw were the young gardaí outside who were never exposed to this type of extreme violence previously. It is vital for us not only to condemn what has happened but to analyse and make quite clear that it makes no contribution whatever to a resolution.

We also should be careful. I praised Fine Gael yesterday morning and I will do so again this morning. The balance that I hear from that part of the Opposition to my way of thinking is being influenced by the knowledge that there is a greater danger to our democracy awaiting us, not just the IMF. I genuinely hope we all take time to realise what is that danger.