I want to condemn the horrific attack in Belfast on Monday night and commend those who bravely intervened. I also want to condemn what was effectively a racist pogrom in Belfast last night. The scenes and the stories of families having their homes burned down and being forced to flee out of burning homes by violent gangs were absolutely heartbreaking. It is grimly reminiscent of the pogroms in Belfast in the 1920s and the 1960s.

The Taoiseach has rightly condemned those who set those homes alight. Will he also condemn those who fanned the flames online? I refer to the likes of Elon Musk, one of the richest, most powerful men in the world, Tommy Robinson, Conor McGregor and also those politicians who have engaged in the scapegoating of migrants. These people, who are at the top of society and some of whom are rich and powerful, are happy to see people divided and to see hate and division spread to distract from their own failures that people in our society are paying for.

I condemn, and I have condemned, what happened on last evening. "Racist pogrom" is a good description of last night in north Belfast. I made the point in my earlier remarks that there were certain media outlets of a particular political disposition that sought, from observing some of the interviews, to raise tensions.

That is unacceptable and I roundly condemn that. Everybody has a responsibility for what is said because the dignity of every individual must be respected. To have families and young children subjected to what happened last evening is unacceptable. What happened the previous evening was savage and has created huge anxiety, fear and anger. That must be acknowledged, but all of us in political life, as public representatives, must call out the level of racism that was evident last night.