Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not want to dwell on this topic but this is my first opportunity to raise, since the break for Easter, the disturbances that took place in Belfast last week and the week before. I want to use this platform in the Seanad today to thank those community, youth, political and church leaders who put themselves out on the ground to try to ease and resolve intercommunity tensions. In one example on the Springfield Road, political, community and youth leaders dismantled a barricade by hand. We also saw them form a human chain to keep young people away from being drawn into violence at interface areas. They are an absolute credit and a lifeline in terms of what they do, regardless of the macropolitics that some allege are at play here. Without those people on the front line and at the grassroots, the situation would be much worse.

I wish to touch very briefly on Senator Craughwell's point. It is really important to remember that members of the loyalist community, the same as the republican and nationalist community, have a vote and they elect the DUP and the UUP to represent them. The protocol that we have was delivered as a result of their Brexit. I have been involved for a long time in cross-community engagement and will always champion that and advocate for it but we must put all of this into perspective. We cannot be using inflammatory language or, even inadvertently, raising concerns about the protocol because these were isolated incidents. The groups involved in this are criminal gangs and drug dealers. They are misusing and abusing young people by putting them out onto the street and placing them in great danger. The place to negotiate and talk is via our elected representatives in this instance, at the Executive, the North-South Ministerial Council and any other table that is available.

On a completely different note, I want to wish a belated happy 80th birthday to President Higgins and a belated happy birthday to Senator Garvey's son.