The government has serious questions to answer regarding the immigration status of Gabriel Fereiera Motta Valladres, the man charged with the multiple stabbings in Stoneybatter over the weekend, Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has said.
The 29-year-old, who is from Brazil but has been in the Republic since 2022, appeared in court on Tuesday relating to the Dublin stabbing attack, during which three people sustained injuries.
Speaking on Wednesday during Statements on Programme for Government, the Aontú Leader referred to a media report, carried by an Irish newspaper in 2023, regarding the suspect’s immigration status in Ireland.
“It was reported in the Irish Daily Star in October 2023 that that Gabriel Fereiera Motta Valladres, the suspect charged with the stabbing of three people in Stoneybatter in Dublin overstayed an expired visa and was charged with an offence contrary to the Immigration Act. Its incredible but Gabriel Fereiera Motta Valladres, like thousands of others who break our immigration law, never left the country.
“This is a very serious issue. Aontú has been raising this issue for more than two years now. Thousands of people who fail the asylum application process, receive deportation notices, but only a tiny fraction of these notices are enforced. The government cannot confirm as to how many actually leave the country.
“The government don’t know where these people are. This is incredible. Here we learn that the suspect of multiple knife attacks was supposed to leave the country but didn’t. If the government did their job right, it appears Gabriel Fereiera Motta Valladres would not be in the country at all”.
“Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan had stated firstly that the suspect was ‘unknown’ to Gardaí. He then stated that there was a minor interaction between the suspect and Gardaí before. However this is not true. On top of the charge for noncompliance of Immigration law, it is also reported that the suspect was accused of possession of €6,500 of drugs for sale or supply in 2023”.
“We do have a responsibility to try and help those who are fleeing famine or war. However ever we have no responsibility to provide asylum to those fleeing peaceful countries. We have no responsibility to provide residence to people who are involved in crime,” the TD said.
“It appears that the man charged with the multiple stabbings in Stoneybatter should not have been in Ireland if this government did its job. This dereliction of duty by the government is needlessly putting Irish citizens at risk. The government has questions to answer. Was Gabriel Fereiera Motta Valladres illegally residing in the country? Did he receive a deportation order? Why was it not enforced? How many people have overstayed expired visas and are still resident in Ireland despite having received a deportation order”.
In response, Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy said she would caution Deputy Toibin about speaking about cases which are yet to come before the courts.
Newly appointed Minister for Justice, Deputy Jim O’Callaghan, responded by saying that a large part of his job was making sure people felt safe, saying he would be “unhesitatingly supportive of Gardaí in the pursuit of law and order.” Deputy O’Callaghan asked TDs to be supportive in promoting a recruitment campaign to ensure more people join the Gardaí, noting that more members of the force was necessary.
Regarding migration, Minister O’Callaghan said “we need to recognise that immigration has been a great success story in this country,” but that the numbers of people seeking International Protection in Ireland had grown, putting pressure on the system.
“We have to take into account that the numbers of people coming here seeking international protection has increased significantly, and is putting significant stresses on our system. I intend to bring forward legislation to put in place the Migration Pact that has been agreed,” the Minister said.
“I think we need a system that is fair, but it also has to be firm. If people come here seeking international protection, and they’re not granted international protection, there must be a consequence for them. And the consequence must be that they depart. I am committed to doing that.”
The Minister added: “I also intend to prioritise a more efficient return system for people whose applications have been unsuccessful. There are clearly challenges with the Dublin 3 Regulation.”
Minister O’Callaghan told the Dáil on Tuesday that he believed Stoneybatter was a safe part of Dublin.
“I was asked a straight question yesterday and I gave a straight answer. Before I was appointed as Minister for Justice I was asked whether parts of Dublin are unsafe at certain times and I said that they are,” Deputy O’Callaghan said.
“I am not going not change my answer simply because it is convenient to do so. I emphasise, however, that I would have thought that if people in this House were asked whether Stoneybatter was a safe place on a Sunday afternoon, they all would have said that it was a safe place. Obviously, circumstances can arise that make it unsafe. I am committed to ensuring that Dublin is safe.
“The best way to do so is to ensure that we have more Garda visibility. The Deputy and I both support that. I assure him that in my engagements with the Garda Commissioner, the primary point I keep making is that we want to see more gardaí on the streets.”
Mr Valladares, with an address at Broadstone Avenue, Dublin 7, faces another charge of possessing a box-cutter knife on the same date of the stabbing c at Murtagh Road, Dublin 7, and a separate charge of possession of a pair of scissors at Manor Place, Dublin.