Seanad debates

Tuesday, 28 June 2016

2:30 pm

Photo of Frank FeighanFrank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like my colleague Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, I rise to send out congratulations to our near neighbours and cousins in Iceland.Last night was one of the most joyous sporting occasions that an Irish team was not involved in. I have nothing against England and just feel that the match was wonderful.

I am very worried about one thing that we will talk about in the next debate. For the past three months on public service broadcasting, on the BBC and in press statements people made racist comments. These people were accused of being fascist and right wing but they were not. They were racists and bigots. We are going through a very difficult race to the bottom. Since the referendum result a petrol bomb has been thrown at a halal butcher's shop in Birmingham and there has been a 57% increase in racist attacks. The same situation could happen in this country so we must be vigilant.

We need to invite the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Sport and Mr. Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, to discuss the aftermath of what happened in France where supporters of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland mingled together and worked closely together. There can be a huge tourism benefit and other benefits as a result.

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