The Minister for Justice must develop a strategy to combat the sinister rise in violence and aggression against migrants, according to Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon.
Deputy Gannon, who is the party’s justice spokesperson, said:
“The increase in racially motivated attacks – on people, property and places of worship – is something that should concern us all. The targeting of migrants is part of a wider and deeply unsettling trend – not just here in Ireland, but internationally.
“In the past few days alone, gardaí are investigating a number of incidents, including a violent attack on three migrants in a north Dublin park and, separately, a fire in an Islamic prayer hall in Dublin city centre.
“And just yesterday, a man pleaded guilty to a terrorist offence in connection with a plot to set fire to a mosque in Galway last year.
“Misinformation and disinformation about migrant communities have been allowed to run rampant, with no consequences for those spreading lies and hatred online.
“The Government, meanwhile, doesn’t have a strategy for combatting the level of aggression being directed at migrants. Instead, they only seem to talk about the issue in terms of the burden placed on our homelessness services or the need to manage our immigration system – without talking about the actual people within this system.
“Migrants should be able to live their lives without fear of being physically attacked or racially abused. Instead, many are terrified every time they walk our streets.
“The Minister for Justice urgently needs to get in front of this problem and develop a strategy to tackle racially motivated violence before the situation escalates further.”
June 30, 2026