Sinn Féin to table motion of no confidence in Minister for Justice

James Cox

Sinn Féin is to table a no-confidence motion in Minister for Justice Helen McEntee next week.

Mary Lou McDonald said the country can't have a justice minister who "refuses to acknowledge the political failures that allowed our communities to become unsafe".

Ms McDonald was referring to the Dublin riots.

Her party has called for Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Ms McEntee to resign over the violence that broke out in the capital, after a stabbing incident earlier in which three children were injured.

Ms McDonald says the Government is "simply not listening".

“This was foreseeable accept by those who were supposed to be in charge,” she said, speaking outside Leinster House on Friday.

“It’s very clear that on the evening and night of Thursday 23rd November, control was lost in the city centre of Dublin for a number of hours. It’s clear that the riots, this violence, this public disorder could have been foreseen, should have been foreseen, could have been prevented or contained through earlier action on the day and had there been any leadership from the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice.

“It’s very clear also that for a very long time now people have felt unsafe on the streets of Dublin’s inner city.

“It is very, very clear that we do not have a leadership with determination nor the resourcing necessary to ensure public safety.”

Ms McDonald added: “What happened on 23rd November on Thursday last was shocking… and was unacceptable and there has to be accountability for that catastrophic failure in policing and a catastrophic failure to keep people safe.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has defended Ms McEntee and Mr Harris, while they have both insisted they have no intention of stepping down.