The Government must do more to engage with people who have genuine questions over public service provision in the context of increased migration, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.
The Fine Gael leader said he makes a clear distinction between those who had legitimate concerns over increased immigration numbers, and those engaging in disorder and criminal damage at sites earmarked for asylum seeker accommodation.
Mr Harris said on Sunday he had spoken with the Minister for Integration and the Minister for Justice, and been briefed by both, over the anti-immigration stand-off in Coolock.
In a statement on Sunday lunchtime he said he's also spoken with Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald, and that both agreed on the need for the violence to stop - and those responsible to be brought to justice.
He said they also discussed the important issue of engaging with people in their community, providing information, and trying to address issues.
His comments come in a week that saw violent clashes between rioters and gardaí at the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock in north Dublin – a site proposed to be converted into an accommodation facility.
Mr Harris said the attacks on gardaí were not caused by concerns over a lack of community engagement, insisting it was instead “thuggery and lawlessness” perpetrated by people who “will exploit any divisive situation”.
He said it was right that gardaí responded with the “full rigours of the law”.
The Government needs to do more
While the Taoiseach insisted the issue of community engagement was separate, he acknowledged the Government did need to do more on that front.
“I think we do need to do more as a government in terms of community engagement,” he said.
“I’m very clearly drawing a line down the middle here because I’m not conflating the two (community engagement and those engaged in violence). I refuse to conflate the two, I find that a despicable concept.
“But I do think when it comes to community engagement now I’m very eager to support Minister [for Integration Roderic] O’Gorman in providing more resourcing, that we could have more people working on the issue of community engagement.
“We have to recognise here that the overwhelming majority of people in this country are decent. The overwhelming majority of people in this country understand the benefits of migration.
“It is a good thing. I’m not going to go down the road of making mistakes that other governments of the past and other countries did in relation to migration.
“But we also have to recognise that if you’re living in a small town or a small village and hundreds of new people move in, whether that’s in a new housing estate or through migration, of course that raises legitimate questions that people ask.
“We have to be ready to engage, to engage more on that as well.
“I also think this summer we’re going to see something quite important happen, and it’s not without challenge, but we are going to see a number of hotels, bed and breakfasts, and community centres that were being used for migration being put back into public use.
“So yes, we have a lot of work to do in relation to this.”
His comments come as Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou Mc Donald says the Government needs to move 'beyond condemnation' and take action - to restore calm and order to Coolock.
Ms McDonald has met residents and community groups in the area and says they've been very clear about the anger, fear and frustration that's been felt over being left in a vaccum. She says it's right to condemn the scenes of violence from the past week - but the community needs respect and support to move forward.
David Young, PA
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