TD stands over comments that garda response in Roscrea was 'choreographed'

A TD has stood over her Dáil comments that the use of the garda public order unit and the presence of RTÉ was "choreographed" to make local people involved in the protest look band.

Deputy Carol Nolan said that "heavy handed tactics" were used in Roscrea to create a "chill factor" during protests over the housing of international protection applicants in Racket Hall. 

However, when asked specifically to clarify who she held responsible for "choreographing" the events, she did not respond. 

"I stand over my comments in the Dáil," Deputy Carol Nolan said. 

"I am confident, having spoken to a number of people on the ground and indeed a number of people who provided me with confidential information, that the entire sorry spectacle was organised with the objective of creating a ‘chill factor’ around peaceful community protest.

"The people of Roscrea were treated appallingly and I for one will not stand back or remain silent as their good name and their peaceful welcoming character is dragged through the mud. These were ordinary, and for the most part, non-political mothers, grandmothers, fathers, grandfathers, and children, many of whom have family connections in my own constituency.

"They simply wanted their voices heard. What they got instead was disrespect, demonisation and heavy-handed tactics that are out of place in our democracy, or what’s left of it at any rate,” Deputy Nolan said. 

Speaking in the Dáil earlier this week on the scenes which unfolded outside the Racket Hall when Gardaí physically engaged with local people in an attempt to disperse the protest, Deputy Nolan said "everything was handled wrong".

"It was done to create the image that the people were wrong, that the community was wrong and I condemn that. It was very wrong what was done to those people.

"Those communities are concerned. Communities are entitled to ask questions - they are entitled to do that", she said, directing her words towards Justice Minister, Helen McEntee.

"The mishandling of that incident was shocking - the RTÉ camera was there to capture it all - so it was choreographed to the greatest detail and I want to condemn that and call it out.

"People do see it for what it was and it certainly backfired", Deputy Nolan said.

"I want to also raise my very serious concerns over the very unsustainable level of immigration into this country. We heard people get up here from the hard left, some of their TDs, and the gullible, naive and reckless statements leave me dumbfounded.

"They seem to think there are no limits on what we can do - of course there's limits on what we can do as a country - we're only one small island, there's only so much we can do. But to continue to bring people in in droves - let them sleep on hotel floors and on the streets and in tents - its gone to such a chaotic level.

"It is unfair what's happening. There's only so much we can do and for the hard left TDs to think its ok to throw taxpayers money around like confetti and act in such a reckless fashion by bringing in everybody from across the world - we are not here for the reason of asylum tourism.

Deputy Nolan told Justice Minister Helen McEntee directly that she is "concerned" that fingerprints of people arriving in Ireland are not "being checked against criminal databases". 

"I'm also concerned about our tourism sector being destroyed and all the hotel beds gone out of the system. I have serious concerns and I will continue to raise them", Deputy Nolan said concluding her address.