‘So, why does SF not buy social housing?’
Taoiseach blasts parties dominating city council
CLASHES over alleged ‘heavy-handed’ actions of hooded gardaí and members of a private security firm marked the return of the Dáil yesterday, with Leo Varadkar denying plans to ban people from filming officers.
The Taoiseach blamed Sinn Féin and left-wing parties on Dublin City Council for their lack of action on housing.
He told Mary Lou McDonald: ‘I note that many of the protests are taking place in the central Dublin city area. Sinn Féin and left-wing councillors dominate Dublin City Council.
‘So I assume that if Sinn Féin and left-wing-dominated councils are not compulsorily purchasing properties in Dublin city centre, they have a reason for not doing so.’
Ms McDonald had earlier complained that tens of thousands of homes now lie vacant across the State. ‘Naturally, people have responded and some have come out to protest against the Government’s failures,’ she said.
‘The response has been a heavyhanded over-reaction to the peaceful occupation of a building which had lain empty for three years. Staff of a private security firm arrived in unmarked cars escorted by gardaí to evict a handful of peaceful protesters, which was an absolutely disproportionate response.’
Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett praised the ‘magnificent’ protests of young people in the Take Back the City movement who were adopting ‘robust and aggressive measures’ to go after empty residential properties. But, he said, there had been ‘paramilitary policing methods’ in response.
He called on the Taoiseach to ‘repudiate the unbelievable suggestion’ made by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan that ‘gardaí should no longer be recorded in the conduct of their duties, when
‘Heavy-handed over-reaction’
it would amount to censorship of the press and the public’.
The Taoiseach replied: ‘There are no Government proposals to restrict people in taking photographs or making videos. That would be a restriction of free speech and not something I would support.’ Mr Flanagan, who made the suggestion at the weekend, sat silently alongside.
Mr Varadkar said: ‘I reassure people – press photographers, individual citizens and protesters – there are no Government proposals whatsoever to do so.’
He asked Mr Boyd Barrett to take the opportunity to condemn any abuse of gardaí, including racist abuse and name-calling.
He urged him to condemn ‘anyone who seeks to identify and intimidate online the members of the Garda Síochána’.
Mr Boyd Barrett said he condemned unreservedly any threat or use of violence against anybody by anybody, ‘be it against gardaí or against protesters’.