I wish to speak about the events in Belfast recently. I am very concerned about the way events are being reported on after the attack in Belfast and in the context of the riots. Our role as politicians and legislators should be to talk about the difficult cases, the gaps in our legislation and how policy is shaping the state of our country. It cannot be the case that if we speak about violence in this country, such as an attempted beheading or a woman being killed in Galway, there are claims that we are adding to the problem by shining a light on it. There are always thugs waiting for an opportunity or a moment to create chaos and violence in the aftermath of a tragic event. These events follow the same pattern every single time - an horrific act of violence happens, people condemn it, protests happen and then people who rightly condemn the violence are targeted as inciting hatred or stoking the flames. That can be a calculated attempt to create a chilling effect to stop people from speaking up. It is the sanitised way that some politicians and media are dealing with these events, which is creating greater suspicion and fear in communities. The Government is not adequately checking people who are claiming asylum. We do not have the capacity to assess or deal with complex medical issues and-or post-traumatic stress syndrome.

I feel so sorry for immigrants who are living here and working hard only to find themselves the subject of discrimination because of this kind of policy. We should be advocating for the voices of the victims who become lost in all the chaos of the riots. Speaking about violence and trying to improve public policy and safety should not be framed as inciting hatred. It is wrong. All it does is push people to the outer edges and the extremes.