John Gilroy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I understand that people are very angry after enduring eight years of austerity imposed to get the country back in recovery. First, I join in condemning the recent protest, if that is the correct word, against the visit of President Higgins to Coláiste Eoin in Finglas. It is fair and reasonable to attack ideas in a democracy but it is totally unacceptable to make a personal and vindictive attack. We have seen this as well with the attack on Deputy Mulherin's office which must be condemned, and also with the outrageous treatment of the Tánaiste some weeks ago in Jobstown. We can also point to the almost forgotten incident some months ago when the office of the Minister of State, Deputy Ó Riordáin, was daubed with vile graffiti.

There is a certain level of nastiness creeping into politics which is totally unacceptable. It has to be denounced unambiguously by all democrats. I have heard the use of clever words and phraseology to qualify this abuse in the other House. There has been a silence among some parties in this House too with regard to condemning this awfulness. It is said that all it takes for evil to prevail is for good people to stay quiet. It could not be more apt or timely to remind people of that. As democrats we must remind people to unambiguously denounce every instance of this kind of thuggery when we find it.