Irish Examiner view: Short-term over-reaction to Dublin riots could be as bad as inaction

Thu, 30 Nov, 2023 - 00:55

Readers are probably tired by now of the continued references to the “unprecedented scenes” in Dublin last week, even if that is a reasonable description of the rioting in and around O’Connell St.

Yesterday Garda Commissioner Drew Harris appeared before the Oireachtas justice committee, where he was questioned about the Garda response to those riots, among other matters.

He said more gardaí are to be given public order training, in addition to the 100 members of the force added to the public order unit in Dublin this year.

“We will be providing gardaí with even stronger incapacitant spray and more personal safety equipment,” he said, adding that the force will seek to acquire two water cannon and would “evolve its tactics” in dealing with protests.

The riots were serious enough to warrant this kind of reaction but — while there is an understandable public appetite to see the forces of law and order restore peace to the capital city — a proportionate response is also necessary.

The Government must be extremely careful that it does not back itself into a corner with its legislative response to the riots. Deploying staff and updating equipment are considerations for Garda management which are clearly contingent on operational needs, non-binding arrangements which can be adjusted to suit the situation.

Legislative change is different: the scenes in Dublin were shocking enough to motivate a need for tougher laws, but new laws last longer than Garda staffing provisions.

In that regard, Justice Minister Helen McEntee’s plans to bring forward legislation to enable facial recognition technology to quickly prosecute offenders involved in violence and looting needs to be examined closely.

The issue with such measures is that while there may be warm applause for their use in this specific case, there may be other situations in which such legislation is not as welcome. In this case over-reaction may be as dangerous in the long-term as inaction.

More dialogue is needed

After the checkpoints which hit the headlines in Clare last May, this past weekend we had more of the same in Leitrim, where vehicles were reportedly checked near Dromahair and those in them asked to account for why they were in the village.

It is illegal to stop people on the road yet clearly there are some who feel they can do so, which contributes to a sense of unease, at the very least, about the safety of innocent travellers.

However, Independent TD Marian Harkin gave an account to the Dáil this week of events near Dromahair which gave valuable context and showed how situations can be manipulated. Harkin said rumours had circulated in the area about refugees being housed locally, and while none had come, some outsiders had arrived and the illegal checkpoints had been set up. It was 90 minutes before two gardaí were able to arrive and address the matter.

Significantly, Harkin said she had met locals weeks ago who had expressed concerns about the shortage of appropriate facilities in the area for emergency accommodation. She had written to the Department of Integration but “got no response. Nothing”. It should be noted that the department has now said it will meet with local residents.

The ongoing lack of dialogue from State bodies when it comes to emergency accommodation has been a depressingly consistent theme in recent months, with the consequent information vacuum filled by manipulation and disinformation.

The obvious retort is that notifying local communities would alert the far right and open up the possibility of violent confrontation.

Yet the lack of dialogue with communities is leading to illegal checkpoints being set up and — judging by Leitrim — to Garda resources being stretched to the limit. The policy of keeping communities in the dark is not working.

Reach for the stars

Tomorrow sees a new dawn for Irish science as the first Irish satellite heads for space.

Eirsat-1 was initially due to launch from the European Space Agency’s (ESA) launch site in French Guiana in January of this year, but mechanical issues with its transporting rocket hampered plans; it takes off tomorrow instead.

This is a welcome milestone and great achievement in and of itself, a terrific day for the team working out of the UCD Centre for Space Research under the direction of Prof Lorraine Hanlon. The satellite will be used for experiments on gamma-ray bursts and other phenomena, but is also a strong endorsement of Ireland’s science and technology sector.

It is of immense reputational benefit to Ireland in that it underscores the strength of our research scientists working in aerospace and other hi-tech fields, while there is a more concrete and immediate boost. Prof Hanlon noted that the launch is a financial win because it should encourage a scaling-up of the industry in Ireland, which already hosts about 90 companies working on projects with the ESA.

Finally, it is proof that Ireland need not be a staging post in a scientific career. It shows that Irish students do not have to leave the country to pursue their research interests, and having the best and the brightest remaining at home can only be good for Ireland going forward.

Irish Examiner view: One more crisis could end Helen McEntee's tenure