Minister for Justice 'absolutely committed' to keeping people safe
Kenneth Fox
Helen McEntee says she is "absolutely committed" to keeping people safe, in her role as Minister for Justice
Following riots in Dublin on Thursday, Minister McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris will be invited to appear before the Justice Committee this coming week.
There have been calls for both individuals to resign from their positions following the incidents.
On Friday, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris should resign.
Speaking to reporters on Friday near the scene of the knife attack, Ms McDonald said there had been an “unacceptable failure to keep people safe” on Thursday night.
Ms McDonald said a “mob fuelled by hate” had wreaked havoc on the city.
“The cold truth and the reality that we must confront today is that the Gardai lost control of the centre of our capital city.
“A mob was allowed to shut down the centre of the city.
“Public transport locked down.
“People stranded in the city.
“Members of the public, families and workers terrified in what was a threatening and volatile atmosphere.
But Minister McEntee is determined to bring the perpetrators of the riot to justice.
“This was an unacceptable, unprecedented collapse in policing.
“The idea that this violence was unforeseeable is frankly nonsense.
“These hate-filled mobs have threatened and brought violence to our streets before.
“This shouldn’t have happened and, let me be very clear, it can never happen again.”
Helen McEntee said so far 48 arrests have been made in the city since Thursday and a high-visibility policing plan is in place throughout the weekend, including the deployment of four public order units.
The garda dog unit and the mounted unit are also being deployed, and two water cannons are available for use if required.
The water cannons are on loan from the Police Service of Northern Ireland following a request for mutual aid from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
They will solely be operated by members of An Garda Síochána if deployed
