Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has strongly defended his response to last week’s fuel protests, saying that the right to protest is “not unlimited.”
The Fianna Fáil Minister said this afternoon that the right to assemble peacefully “is subject to public order,” as he told the Dáil: “What we witnessed last week at certain sites, where the blockading of fuel and goods occurred, was not a peaceful assembly in line with public order.”
Tensions have been simmering within Government over how a plan to request the assistance of the Defence Forces during last week’s fuel blockades became public knowledge.
Public controversy erupted when Minister for Justice O’Callaghan announced that the army was being called in to clear fuel protest blockades. Opinion among government forces has been split regarding who should have been consulted prior to the announcement.
Sources have claimed that Mr O’Callaghan did discuss asking the Army to intervene with the Taoiseach and Tánaiste last Wednesday evening, while it has also been claimed in the press that neither the Minister for Defence nor the Defence Forces had been consulted.
Some opposition politicians hit out at the request to bring in the army, announced on Thursday morning, leading to claims that it had further aggravated protestors.
Mr O’Callaghan said he would be voting with confidence in the Government as tense scenes continued in the Dáil this afternoon, with party leader Micheál Martin criticised for “refusing” to recall the Dáil, “leaving people with no option but to take to the streets.”
“In those circumstances,” Mr O’Callaghan said, “Gardai were required to restore order. That is what they did, and I commend them for doing so.”
He added that it was a “credit to the Gardai that they did not only manage to remove the blockades at both ports and fuel depots in a swift manner following a number of days of engagement.”
Mr O’Callaghan said the force had done so “without any notable injury to the individual at the blockades or any member of the force.”
“I also want to commend the Defence Forces who provided assistance to the Gardai in the provision of equipment required to remove vehicles, forming parts of the blockade. An Garda Siochana, as you should appreciate, has a proud record of history of defending and securing the people of Ireland and their Democratic institutions from harm against those who have tried to undermine them.
“They did so again on this occasion, and that’s to be commended by everyone in this house. I’m concerned, however, about the unacceptable levels of hatred and vitriol directed at Garda members, sometimes in person, but mostly from faceless cowards on social media. The majority of them are from outside this state. I want to put on the record of the House that harassment of members of An Garda Siochana online or in person will not be tolerated. I’ve already spoken to the commissioner about this.
“He’s assured me that where offences have been committed, prosecutions will follow. The work of this government in the area of justice has just begun. It’s vital that work continues, as such, I commend the motion of confidence before the House,” said the Minister.
The debate is ongoing and can be viewed here: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/oireachtas-tv-channel/