Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

Following on some of the themes that have been mentioned, and it has been discussed a couple of times, it is time we start calling these arson attacks what they are, namely, terrorist attacks. I do not think I am being OTT when I use this term. We have done some research on this. We can use terror laws for arson attacks on accommodation or linked to people seeking asylum. That is language we should probably start adopting as well; it is people who are seeking asylum. They are people first and they are seeking something - which they are perfectly legally entitled to do under international law, Irish law and European law - in Ireland. Where there is evidence that these arson attacks are being motivated by extremist ideology, crimes such as criminal damage, including arson, can be prosecuted as terrorism-related offences under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005. For any avoidance of doubt, I will read out from our Irish Statute Book what our definition of “terrorism” or “terrorist activity” is:

“Terrorist activity” is defined by reference to offences under our law which are committed in or outside the State with the intent of seriously intimidating a population, unduly compelling a Government or international organisation to perform or abstain from performing any act, or seriously destabilising or destroying the fundamental political, economic or social structures of a state or an international organisation.

As I said, that is directly from our Irish Statute Book. We should not dance around this and not call it for what it is. These are acts of terror, domestic terror or whatever one wants to call them. They are seeking to destroy our literal and our political infrastructure in our State. We will have to reckon with that when we come to the local elections and indeed the general election. They are seeking to destroy economic structures in our State because it is costing a huge amount of money both to put out these fires and then rebuild these buildings. They are destroying social structures as well because this is dividing people.

People are acting online. I have screenshots from channels and I could probably tell Members the next set of buildings across this country that will be targeted. People are boldly posting on channels that are easily accessible by me, you and anyone. I hope An Garda Síochána is also accessing these because there are lists of buildings now up online that they are talking about targeting next. I would not be at all surprised if those buildings are burned in the next week or couple of weeks.I do not believe that we have to have this argument that we do not see any sort of co-ordinating force doing it and therefore these are just lone wolves. These are lone wolves who are acting online, who are being motivated online through channels that everyone has access to. I am not entirely sure how it needs to happen, whether we need to call the Minister for Justice to the House and have a conversation about this or whether she needs to go before the justice committee, but we need to start calling these acts exactly what they are. They are acts of terrorism against the State and against our people. These people will not be held accountable until the whole force of the law is against them. I am not someone who necessarily invokes the great force of the law any day but we have to start calling these things what they are. They are racist attacks, they are terrorist attacks and they are destroying our society.