I condemn the awful scenes we saw in Citywest last night. One far-right account in advance of the riot posted online that "Citywest IPAS centre needs to be stormed." That was the clear goal last night, to overrun the accommodation centre. This was not done to protect children or the community, even if that is what the organisers claimed to the people they brought along with them. The organisers were intent on sowing chaos. It was done to whip up fear, create division and terrify vulnerable people. I commend gardaí for containing the violence and bringing it under control.

The alleged sexual assault of a ten-year-old girl who was supposed to be in the care of the State is shocking on so many levels. My thoughts are with her and her family. People across the country are rightly horrified. The alleged perpetrator is now in jail. He was not in Citywest last night but innocent men, women and children were. Vulnerable international protection applicants who have every right to be here, all would have been terrified by the riot outside. Many are now no doubt living in fear. After the last riots in Dublin, many children of colour did not turn up to school across the city the next day. They were afraid to leave their homes, afraid their skin colour would make them a target. You have to imagine that is happening again today. People of colour, all over the city, now scared and on high alert. I wonder how children who are living in Citywest are feeling today. I wonder how many of them felt safe enough to go to school. It is disgusting that an alleged sexual assault on one vulnerable child has resulted in other children being terrorised.

Last night's rioting was orchestrated by far-right actors online. They pedal racist myths that international protection applicants are more prone to crimes against women and children. They openly incite violence and celebrate it when it happens. While they spread their dangerous and divisive disinformation online, there is an onus on everyone in this Chamber to counter that rhetoric. We must use language carefully and factually, continue to point out there is no link between migration and crime, counter racist innuendo about asylum seekers and highlight the vast majority of deportation orders have nothing to do with public safety concerns. They are issued because people do not meet the very narrow criteria to make a successful asylum application.

What measures are being put in place to ensure that vulnerable men, women and children in Citywest are kept safe, and have threats been made against any other IPAS centres?

First, I thank the Deputy for raising the issue in the manner she has; it is a very important issue. In the first instance, I too want to thank An Garda Síochána for its bravery, courage and professionalism-----

Hear, hear.

----- in dealing with a very serious and grave situation last evening, where the Deputy correctly said, innocent people were threatened in terms of their own safety and security, particularly children, and also the surrounding neighbourhoods where walls were apparently damaged for people to get missiles to throw against the gardaí.

The gardaí come from our community. They are there to protect us all. It beggars belief that these people would articulate such vile abuse of members of An Garda Síochána and would then attack them in a very serious way which could cause injury and damage if they did not have their protective clothing. It needs to be dealt with robustly. We are very clear, and the Minister for Justice, Deputy O'Callaghan, is very clear we are in total solidarity with An Garda Síochána and that our criminal justice system needs to hold the people responsible for last evening to account. We wish the female garda who was injured the very best. It was a very difficult situation those young gardaí faced last evening and they should not have to face that.

Also, it is a matter of genuine and sincere concern the alleged assault on a ten-year old-girl but the whole circumstances surrounding that is a matter of deep concern and our thoughts are with that ten-year-old young child and her family and so on. Our job in the State is to protect and support that child. That child, in my observation, was not protected by the State and that is it. I do not mean that is it - I am calling it that way. We then have to respond as a State to that.

I have been consistently raising this issue, certainly for a long time but with greater intensity in the past number of months, of the attacks on ethnicity and I have condemned attacks on people because of their ethnicity, colour or creed. I have met with different groups who have articulated concerns to me. Young people, in the context of the child poverty group that was formed, have told me the fears they have. I do not like using this phrase but these are Irish citizens who may be of a different ethnicity - Asian ethnicity or whatever, it does not matter - but the point I am trying to make is they were articulating to me they were afraid to go into town. Some of their siblings were afraid of being chased home from schools. Employees are being attacked. Employers have reported this to me.

Thank you, Taoiseach. He can come back in.

As a society, we need to address that. I am very clear about that but equally then, we must also be open to voices - not last night now - but in this House and elsewhere, who raise issues and who would not condone at all what happened last night. It is important we try to have a civilised debate here. I am not saying the Deputy is not doing that, but I just noticed things yesterday. We have to engage as an Oireachtas.

The Taoiseach is over time. Deputy Cairns will be coming back in.

We must protect our fundamental values. The dignity of every human being matters. I am 100% with the Deputy on that.

I genuinely welcome the Taoiseach's comments. I also hope he will practice a bit more of what he is preaching today because they are welcome. In comparison to yesterday, when Deputy Fitzmaurice raised increasing knife crime in the same breath as concerns about the asylum system, the Taoiseach's response was to thank him, and I quote, "for raising the issue in a responsible and fair way." Then when my colleague, Deputy Quaide, later pulled him up on that and said we had a duty not to use that kind of language which inflames tensions, the Taoiseach accused him of being intolerant and asked him to reflect on his comments.

The Taoiseach should reflect on that. He should show leadership and counter false narratives like that rather than indulge them. I am not saying that we cannot discuss the asylum system; we absolutely have to do so, but it should not be too much to ask that we do so in a fact-based way and that we shut down racist tropes. This is something we all have to do at every opportunity. I hope the Taoiseach will do it too in the future. What plans are there to counter those false narratives?

I do not preach, but I do practice. In carrying out my duties as Taoiseach or as a public representative and in all of my life, I do so by means of actions and practice. These speak much louder than words or preaching. I take exception to the Deputy's suggestion-----

I just-----

-----that I should practice what I preach. I will outline my position on this. In everything I do as a public representative, I will embrace all people, whether it is in connection with a school, a community or whatever. I will go out of my way to do that; it is the right thing to do. I do not expect any credit or anything like that. It is the natural thing we should do, and that is what I do.

In respect of Deputy Fitzmaurice's comments, I know that Deputy Cairns and her party took exception. If we keep drawing hard lines-----

He was wrong.

Deputy, please do no interrupt.

Could I please just make a very important point? If we keep drawing hard lines, we are giving ground to the people who did what they did last night. There are people in this House who may not share our perspective entirely on this. It is important that we hear those voices-----

The Deputy conflated knife crime with migrants, and you welcomed his response.

----- and then address the issues by means of a fact-based and evidence-based approach. If you keep-----

That is pure arrogance.

----- with a certain degree of arrogance-----

Taoiseach, time is up.

The last resort of the desperate.

What you are saying is, "We know best. Don't be-----

Taoiseach, you are way over time for the third time today.

-----stupid over there, and, please, come with us." That will not work. If you are trying to score points off people, it is not going to work.

There is best practice. It is not good form

I call Deputy Brian Stanley.