An Irish Green Party Junior Minister has called for more ethnic “diversity” among the police force and in Irish politics following a night of rioting in Dublin last week.
The comments were made by Green Party Minister of State Malcolm Noonan during a Dáil debate on Tuesday, as members were discussing last week’s unrest in the nation’s capital.
Violent scenes broke out in Dublin last Thursday after three young children and an adult créche worker were stabbed at a school in an apparently random daytime attack. One victim – a 5-year-old girl – remains in critical condition as a result of her injuries, while the woman is in serious but stable condition. The sole suspect is a man of Algerian origin in his 40s, who is also recuperating in hospital, having sustained injuries at the scene.
“I am deeply shocked”: Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said that she is "shocked” by a reported attack on three children and a woman near Parnell Square today, adding “Our thoughts are with those injured.”#gripthttps://t.co/PwYcQhRbdd
— gript (@griptmedia) November 23, 2023
News of the attack resulted in nationwide uproar on the day, which culminated in a protest the same evening, and devolved into rioting, arson and opportunistic looting.
Multiple vehicles on fire amid clashes with riot police in Dublin. pic.twitter.com/nw7sWdHLhJ
— gript (@griptmedia) November 23, 2023
Commenting on the day’s events this week, Noonan said: “Our response to the events of last Thursday will define this nation.” He went on to add that his “thoughts and prayers” were with the victims of the attack, and with the emergency services personnel that responded to the riots.
However, he went on to claim that the country needed to have “a difficult conversation” about the need for more ethnic diversity in certain key jobs in the wake of these events.
“Some commentators are saying that this isn’t us,” he said, adding: “Well, it is time we had a difficult conversation about these issues.”
“I know many friends from African countries who have felt and experienced racist incidents over many years in this country,” he said.
“Representation of minorities is all too small in our councils and in our Dáil chamber.”
He added: “I think there’s an important role for the Electoral Commission in this regard as well.”
The Electoral Commission, which was established earlier this year, is a new State body in Ireland tasked with “enhancing democracy” in various ways – including by the regulation and censorship of content which is deemed to be “misinformation.” It wields the legal power to order platforms to correct, remove or otherwise block the information in question via a High Court order, and its members are appointed rather than elected.
The Irish government's new anti-misinformation force, the Electoral Commission, says it has "very extensive powers" to "require the correction or removal of information we believe to be incorrect" – all in an effort to "enhance democracy." Question by @Ben_Scallan #gript pic.twitter.com/nMlixyGM2q
— gript (@griptmedia) August 30, 2023
Notably, as previously reported by Gript, at least one member of the Commission recently chaired a group urging the government to “counteract the spread” of “hate speech,” and was also part of a group whose explicit goal was to challenge “far-right organising.”
A member of Ireland’s new Electoral Commission recently chaired a group urging the government to “counteract the spread” of “hate speech”, and was also part of a group whose explicit goal was to challenge “far-right organising."#gripthttps://t.co/GcNngZRGe0
— gript (@griptmedia) August 31, 2023
Noonan continued on to say that the role of the Commission was “tackling disinformation, the promotion and awareness and support for minority candidates in the upcoming elections.”
“We once took our democracy for granted, and we thought we were safe here, but we were wrong,” he said.
“We must fight really hard collectively to protect it from the far-right.”
He also called for more diversity in the police force on foot of recent events, saying: “I do think we need to look at issues around diversity of our Gardaí as well.”
The topic of immigration has found itself in the national spotlight since last week’s scenes, with a clip of Taoiseach Leo Varadkar discussing the matter going viral on social media.
“I really would ask people to try and avoid connecting crime with migration – it’s not right,” the Taoiseach said, referring to the school stabbing.
He added that “a few” migrants will commit “terrible crimes,” just as some Irish people commit “terrible crimes,” but that crime and migration should not be linked.