Leo: Linking tragic Ashling to refugees is really wrong
Taoiseach says TD’S comments were ‘profoundly dangerous’
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has accused a TD of attempting to link the death of Ashling Murphy with concerns about immigration.
The Fine Gael leader told Independent TD Marian Harkin that it was “profoundly wrong and profoundly dangerous” to link immigration and violence against women.
Jozef Puska, 33, was found guilty in November of the 23-year-old teacher’s murder in January 2022. The Slovakian had lived in Ireland for a decade.
In the Dail on Wednesday, Ms Harkin, an Independent TD for Sligo-leitrim, said that there was a need for a “warts and all” conversation about immigration and the arrival of single male asylum applicants.
She told the Taoiseach that politicians had listened to women’s concerns about safety following Ms Murphy’s death but were not “entertaining” concerns about male asylum seekers.
She said: “I’m asking for a little bit of reflection and to cast your mind back just two years ago when thousands of visceral statements from so many Irish women followed the horrific murder of Ashling Murphy.
“I still remember some of the comments from Minister Anne Rabbitee, who said in this house, ‘Not all men but all women grow up knowing they are not safe. Not all men, but all women know the feeling that creeps up
your back when you hear steps behind you and you have to check’. She told us by simply existing women’s lives are at risk for men they know and men they do not know.
“Taoiseach, we believed women two years ago when they made these statements about Irishmen.
“I’m asking you, why do we not at least entertain those statements from women now when they say that the idea of 30, 40, 50 whatever single asylum seekers arriving in their town or village in three or four to a room, no family connections, nothing to do most of the time why do we not take those concerns as genuine?”
Ms Harkin added several times that there
RESPONSE was no link between immigrants and crime.
In response, the Taoiseach, who had been shaking his head for the duration of Ms Harkin’s speech, slated the attempt to link Ms Murphy’s death to discussions on immigration.
“The killing and the death of Ashling Murphy was one of those events that really touched the nation,” Mr Varadkar said.
“I remember it so well and I remember the outpouring of grief for that young woman who was killed in the way she was. I remember the anniversary only a few weeks ago.
“I really think to connect that to a debate about international protection and migration is really wrong, really
wrong.”