Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join with Senator Catherine Ardagh, leader of the Fianna Fáil group in offering our deepest sympathies to the families, friends and relations of the 22 people who were murdered in Manchester last night and the 59 people who were badly injured by this suicide bomber. It was at an Ariana Grande concert. She is an American pop idol who appeals primarily to young people. My granddaughter was supposed to go to the concert on Saturday evening in Dublin. She specifically appeals to a young group, it was not an old concert by one of the famous singers, it was geared mainly for young people and when one considers that Saffie Roussos, aged eight years, was murdered last night in Manchester it brings home what happened. Many young people have not yet been found and their parents have been making appeals on television to locate their loved ones. The people of Manchester should be commended for how they have risen to the occasion, there were many wonderful deeds and acts of kindness displayed by the wonderful people of Manchester. Many people in Manchester have Irish connections and I myself have family members there.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for this atrocity. On the question of responsibility it should be pointed out that this was the weak part of any concert, when people are leaving. Those responsible were not going to get in with a bomb on their back but the perpetrator came in when those attending the concert were all leaving and panic ensured. There is nothing more we can say except that we, as a Seanad, through the Leader and through the Cathaoirleach should send a united condolences to the Mayor and people of Manchester, the families, friends and relations.

We must move on. We cannot allow these atrocities and the ISIS organisation to stop freedom. We all have to be on alert. It is high alert across the world and no country is exempt from the activities of ISIS. This is a most tragic situation and it is only right that we as a Seanad give our deepest, genuine sympathies.