Leo Varadkar warns 'not enough gardaí to police armed riot’

He said the possibility of this happening “could not be dismissed in three or four years’ time”.

He told members of the party the threat from the far-right is now “centre stage” for the Government but stressed that gardaí are aware of the identity of most of the people who took part in the rioting.

Mr Varadkar said details of those who have been arrested revealed that just three are from the Dublin 1 inner city area, while 29 are Irish and two are non-white.

He said it is important that the Government “stand over” the inner-city community after the stabbing and subsequent riots “opened Pandora’s box”, which could not be closed, but could be dealt with.

Up to 10 people are under investigation by gardaí for their suspected roles in organising the riots.

Specialists in the Garda cybercrime unit are looking at social media posts, WhatsApp audio, and other communications to find evidence for further arrests and charges.

Charges being looked at include offences under section two of the Prohibition of the Incitement to Hatred Act.

The act includes material — words, behaviour, visual images, or sounds — that are threatening, abusive, or insulting and are intended, or likely, to stir up hatred.

Dozens of CCTV images, social media messages, and electronic communications will play a key role in building a case against the organisers of the riots.

More than 30 people have already been charged with a range of public order offences in the courts.

Elon Musk interactions

Meanwhile, Elon Musk, who owns Twitter, recently rebranded as X, suggested he will analyse Irish people’s activity history on the social media platform on the back of interactions he has had with Irish far-right agitators.

In the wake of last week’s riots in Dublin city centre, which followed the stabbing of three children and a woman, Mr Musk engaged in commentary on the incident, including saying that the Taoiseach “hates the Irish people”.

More recently, in conversation with far-right activist Michael O’Keeffe — one of the organisers of last week’s unrest at Parnell Square — and a second anonymous Irish far-right account, Mr Musk said there is “probably” an Irish equivalent to the ‘Twitter files’, adding, “I will investigate”.