For decades, Sr. Stan was a campaigner and advocate for the most marginalised in our society. We could all learn from her. Our thoughts are with her family today.

I congratulate President-elect Catherine Connolly. She will be a President for all and will be missed in this House, but we know she will serve with the same integrity, diligence and compassion she served with here.

“The house is on fire ... Please answer". This is what a terrified 12-year-old child texted to her mum on Friday after an arson attack on her home, an IPAS centre in Drogheda. In total, 28 people lived in that IPAS centre, the majority of them women and children. Four children, including a two-week-old baby, had to be rescued from the top floor of the building. Little children who came to this country seeking sanctuary are now terrified, traumatised and living in fear. This is where anti-immigrant and racist rhetoric has led us - a violent attack on vulnerable people that could easily have led to children being killed.

I commend the emergency services in Drogheda for their quick action. I also acknowledge that the majority of people in Drogheda and across the country are disgusted by what happened, because this attack is a new low, but is anyone surprised it has come to this? There have been 30 arson attacks on IPAS centres, or proposed centres, in recent years. We have witnessed rioting on our streets and there have been numerous public order incidents and protests outside IPAS centres.

What has the Government's response been to this increasingly volatile atmosphere? It has been to ratchet up its use of inflammatory language and stoke further fears. Mere days after rioting broke out in Citywest, Simon Harris suggested migration numbers, including the number of people here on work permits, were too high. Then, after the despicable arson attack on Friday night, the Government moved immediately to talk about charging those in direct provision for accommodation. You could not make it up. That is not to mention that a callous proposal to reduce accommodation entitlements for people from Ukraine to just 30 days has also just been signed off. Where is the emergency stand-alone meeting on safety concerns for people in international protection? Where is the emergency meeting about increasing levels of violent hate in our communities? Where is the emergency meeting to discuss how to counter the dangerous lies being peddled by far-right agitators online?

This Government has failed miserably to deliver on its own commitments on housing and critical public services. Instead of taking responsibility for that, however, it is now pointing fingers at immigrants-----

That is not true.

-----State agencies and the latest fall guy, EU red tape. This is straight out of the Farage playbook and it is deeply concerning the Government is taking this approach.

Stop. That is ridiculous.

The reality is the numbers seeking international protection are way down this year-----

The Minister to respond.

-----and people remain trapped in the system for too long because of the Government's mismanagement of it. Is the Government reflecting on its communication-----

Deputy, you are way over time.

-----around this? Has the security audit of IPAS centres started?

I think Deputy Cairns heard me respond to Deputy Bacik in the context of the shocking and disgraceful attacks that have happened in Drogheda and Citywest. I am very clear to anyone listening about the positive contribution that many members of the migrant community make to our country, economy, society and communities. That is the position of this Government, and all members of this Government, in terms of wider integration and migration policy.

To the Deputy's question, the Cabinet committee considers wider matters. That is why, and this goes to the point I raised to Deputy Bacik, we should be able to assess overall migration policy continuously and evaluate it to look at European norms. The Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, is constantly doing that in his engagement with colleagues across the European Union to look at the wider incentives and disincentives and the push and pull factors. That is a normal part of migration policy across Europe. We should be able to have a separate, honest evaluation of that continuously so that we are able to manage the overall numbers that are coming into our country. That is not dismissing the need for migrants and their ongoing contribution to our economy, but we need to be able to have an honest debate about that.

I am clear in my absolute condemnation of what has happened. The Garda did an excellent job. There is constant community engagement happening on the ground across many of these centres.

If you take the response in Citywest and in Drogheda, the gardaí did an excellent job. The Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the Minister for justice and others were universal in their condemnation of what happened in these recent attacks. Deputy Cairns did not say that in her opening remarks. She ignored that in her opening remarks and sought to cloud this issue-----

The Tánaiste said nothing.

-----trying to conflate two separate-----

The Tánaiste said nothing about Drogheda.

Deputy, please.

He was on Instagram all weekend and said nothing about Drogheda. He did not condemn it.

Everybody in government condemns what happened in Drogheda.

The man with no thought that goes untweeted said nothing. It is my hometown.

That is very unfair.

It is true though.

Deputy, please.

Everyone in this Government and in this Parliament should be able to have an overall assessment of migration policy. That is what I am saying. We need an honest debate about that continuously because there are various factors which contribute to a surge in applications and we need to be able to evaluate that.

I reject what the Deputy has said in trying to conflate these issues. It is unfair. The work the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, is doing is as focused on community engagement through An Garda Síochána and the various supports that we have on the ground as it is the wider issues in terms of migration policy. The attacks have been disgraceful. I reiterate my view and acknowledge the ongoing contribution that many people continue to make in communities across our country. We value their contribution and their continued work and presence in our country. They need to feel safe and welcomed. We will be doing everything we can to protect that.

The Government cannot stoke fear in one breath, then condemn attacks in another and come into the House and seek credit for doing that.

Hear, hear.

The Social Democrats have been pleading with the Government for weeks to moderate its language, to ensure what it is saying is accurate and that tensions are not further enflamed. Instead, the inflammatory language from the Government has increased. Shamefully, the Tánaiste chose to amplify half-truths to paint migrants in a negative light. He made those comments fully conscious of the volatile atmosphere that is out there. It is not just irresponsible; it is reprehensible. Now we see where rising hate naturally leads - a man pouring petrol on the stairs of an IPAS centre in the hopes of burning women and children alive. If this horrific event is not enough to prompt the Government to engage in some reflection, then I do not know what is. The Government now has a deliberate strategy of depicting international protection applicants as scammers gaming a lax system-----

Thank you, Deputy.

That is not true.

That is so far from the truth it is actually ridiculous.

This is not leadership; this is leaning into a toxic far-right narrative.

Deputy Cairns.

Withdraw that.

People have a right to come here and to make an application for international protection.

Withdraw that.

The Government has a duty to assess those claims fairly.

The Minister to respond.

Will the Government show leadership on this issue and deliver that clear and unambiguous message?

I reject that completely. If the Deputy listened to what I have said, I have rejected the politics of the far-right, of Farage-----

Hear, hear.

----- and of anyone who gives an inflammatory response or weaponises this issue to divide people. Our focus is on community, on building harmony between people and on supporting and investing in communities while also ensuring that we have a migration system and policy which works. That is why we should have an ongoing evaluation of it. It is unfair to continue to conflate this, as the Deputy has. The experience of the women and children in that house and the threat that was brought on them is shocking and is universally condemned by this Government. That is why the work the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, is doing in terms of the Garda's security reviews, which happen for IPAS centres, is really important. It is why community engagement is centrally important. I am disgusted, as everyone is, with what has happened.

Even over the summer, there were some the attacks on certain members of the Indian community as well. In my community in west Dublin, there was fear among many of the migrant members of our community. We need to reinforce the need to support them and promote safety in all aspects of our response. Community is at the centre of that.