Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Along with others, I welcome Senator Malachai O'Hara. His commitment to equality and to the reconciliation of people is something that should inspire all of us. It is appropriate to acknowledge his predecessor, former Senator Niall Ó Donnghaile, who did an awful lot of good work in this House.

I wish to raise the case of Josip Štrok, the 31-year-old Croatian man who was brutally killed in Clondalkin last week. He was walking home with a friend and just going about his life normally. He and his friend were attacked by a gang and the alleged reason was that they were told they should speak English. It was a racist attack. His friend was knocked unconscious and woke up to the news that Josip Štrok was dead. For any family to discover this is horrific. His father then had to come to Ireland to repatriate his body to Croatia and he made some of his organs available for donation. It is horrible that this country has come to this and that we see this level of racism. Unfortunately, some of the language we see in public debate contributes to this. I do not believe some of the horrible anti-immigrant rhetoric we hear is acceptable and it is contributing to the environment that seems to allow this kind of thing to happen. I hope Members will join with me in extending our sympathies to the family of Josip Štrok and to the Croatian community in Ireland following this horrible attack.

I have previously asked for a debate on the issue of coastal erosion and protection for our beaches. Councillor Lisa McDonald has been raising how we have experienced problems of coastal erosion in County Wexford a lot recently. I ask for a debate specifically on that issue to be scheduled.