The hatred on social media has escalated in the past three years as opportunists have sought out vulnerable people to follow their lead. Inflammatory language has now led to physical assault.

It was only a matter of time before we saw the chaotic scenes witnessed on Thursday night.

There have been more than enough red flags for this Government but it appears those in Leinster House were unaware of how quickly the rhetoric from the so-called far-right could escalate into such destruction.

We have continually been told it’s a “minority” of people but Thursday evening's events show the power of that minority's messaging can lead to the centre of Dublin city being brought to a standstill.

It has led to ordinary hard-working people being afraid to go to work, disruption to public transport, and the destruction of property.

The crowds that gathered in broad daylight outside the Dáil back in September should have served as a warning for those walking the corridors of power.

Following the outcry at the verbal abuse and use of mock gallows outside Leinster House, it was mooted that the Government was considering the use of laws under the Offences Against the State Act to deal with the type of aggressive protest witnessed at that point. We have heard very little since.

For months now Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris have been in the spotlight as law and order on our streets has been eroded over time.

Ms McEntee has faced multiple challenges including responding to a number of high-profile attacks in the city which drew attention from around the globe. The US embassy in Dublin even warned its citizens to “exercise good personal security practices” and to be aware of their surroundings, after an American man was hospitalised following an attack. 

Then there was the disastrous photo with the minister being flanked by gardaí, and headlines with her comments stating she felt safe in Dublin’s inner-city. It left her own party colleagues baffled because not many people, specifically women, would feel safe walking around the city once dusk falls. 

Ms McEntee is at odds with frontline gardaí who are crying out for resources and support. She maintains the Government has given them plenty. But Garda representative bodies say she’s just not listening, while their dissatisfaction continues with the leadership of An Garda Síochána.

The minister has also faced criticism from within her own party over her ambition to force through the controversial Hate Bill at a time when her colleagues would much rather she focused on the bread-and-butter issues such as Garda numbers and people feeling safe and secure in their communities. 

That said, after the events this week, which have left foreign nationals fearing for their safety, many will agree with the Taoiseach, who said the Government would move to expedite the passing of the new Hate-Speech Bill.

Facial recognition technology

Ms McEntee also lost the battle with the Green Party on plans to allow the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) by gardaí to be included in new laws to bring in body-worn cameras. The Greens had been arguing for FRT to be dealt with in separate legislation.

It’s clear she has had a difficult time in recent months handling the justice portfolio and how she responds to the latest events will be a defining moment in her career.

“The only people who are responsible for the mayhem that we saw over a number of hours are the mindless thugs who took what was an awful, awful situation, an awful barbaric act against a group of small children, and used that to sow division and to wreak havoc,” she told reporters at Government buildings. 

However, it is her responsibility now to ensure people feel safe in the city centre following the rioting and attacks on gardaí.

She has said she will not resign over what has happened but she now has her work cut out to prove why she deserves to remain as justice minister.