Martin: Far right accusing asylum seekers of 'terrible things' to spread fear
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Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said far-right groups in Ireland are exploiting global pressures in an effort to “raise fear” and “insecurity”.
Mr Martin said “the world is not in a good space”, with asylum seekers in Ireland being accused by the far right of doing “terrible things” in an effort to spread fear.
Mr Martin said there are 35m refugees fleeing conflict and war.
“Those pressures have been exploited by certain far-right elements, of that there is no doubt,” he said.
“Young male asylum seekers now, overnight, because of certain people on the far right in particular, are suddenly people who are going to visit terrible violence on people and rape and so on.
Mr Martin said the same raising of fear and insecurity resulted in the burning of asylum seekers’ belongings on Sandwith Street in Dublin.
“That's what you saw in Dublin, in terms of the burning of tents. I think we as a society, have to work collectively to resist that and take that on in a positive way, by getting the best out of ourselves,” he said.
Mr Martin said gardaí have enough power to deal with such incidents and added that the force has taken a “strategic approach to the far-right”. He said many want “notoriety”.
On the ongoing protest in Inch in Clare in which locals have barricaded a road leading to a hotel accommodating asylum seekers, Mr Martin said: “I think we can do better on the communication side, I have to be straight up about that.”
However, he said it is “not easy”, as there is fear that similar protests will occur if there is prior engagement. Mr Martin said:
“I actually think we have to engage,” he said before adding that similar protests have occurred in the past and that “people became OK” with integrating asylum seekers as time went on.
Separately, speaking on housing, the Tánaiste said the biggest factor in Ireland “in this era” has been population growth.
“It’s a good thing that our population is increasing and our economy is growing,” he said before adding: “We’ll get there”.
“We will need to get to 40,000 (houses being built) per annum. People will come up with different targets but I think we need to build as many as we can, as quickly as we can,” he said.
Mr Martin said he believes the State must move towards “faster modern methods of construction”, and “build houses more rapidly than perhaps we have been doing". In terms of the future, Mr Martin said the electorate situation is “very fragmented” and that a Sinn Féin led government is not the most likely outcome “at all”.
When asked if Fianna Fáil would consider partnering with Sinn Féin, Mr Martin outlined several issues that would need to be addressed.
“It’s not about Mary Lou or Micheál Martin it’s about the policies,” he said before adding: “I have real problems about going in with Sinn Féin, I think they’re anti-enterprise, they need to sort that out, I think they’re anti-European and they need to sort that out.”
Mr Martin said there have also been consistent attempts to “justify the past”, accusing Sinn Féin of “rewriting” history.
“Political violence was not correct in this country and the 30 years of violence that we experienced, in my view, was in no way justified.”
Speaking on Ryan Tubridy’s second last , Mr Martin said he wants a “reconciled Ireland” which would see a united Ireland focused on people rather than territory.
When asked if he would support former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s candidacy for the next presidential election, Mr Martin said: “I don’t think Bertie will be going for the presidency.”