Frank Feighan (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Three years ago at one of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly meetings, I met a professor of European history who forecast exactly what would happen after so many years of difficulty in Europe. He forecast that the United Kingdom and United States would opt for far-right leaders. He said that after times of difficulty, people look for a strong leader. I asked him what he meant and he said that in the 1930s — I am not assuming the United Kingdom and United States will go down this road – the people in Germany wanted a strong leader and they got one. We are facing very interesting and difficult challenges that arise every so many decades.Yesterday, the National Party was due to set itself up in the State, representing the people who look at multiculturalism with dismay. It is their right to set up a party, with whatever views they have, but I see that the hotel in question withdrew its hosting of the launch. While we must be careful that we do not give the oxygen of publicity to a party that is against human rights, we must also allow them to effectively participate in democracy. I am not saying they are far-right or far-left, but we need to be vigilant that parties who wish to set up in the State represent the ideals of democracy, and whatever they do I hope they live up to those ideals.