Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said some protesters “know exactly” who is behind suspected arson attacks on buildings and urged them to come forward.
Gardaí and the Government have been grappling with a series of incidents at premises rumoured to be used for asylum seekers, with the Minister for Finance warning on Thursday that there is a real risk of someone being killed.
Ms McEntee said some protesters could be “complicit” if they do not come forward with information.
“Gardaí are making good progress and I welcome that,” she told RTÉ News.
“We will be absolutely relentless in supporting them to track down those who are responsible for these vile crimes, crimes which carry a maximum sentence of up to life in prison, but we cannot leave it just to the gardaí.
“There are people right across the country, some people who are protesting, who know exactly who are responsible. By not coming forward with information, you are complicit, so I am calling on those who have information to come forward before these fires cost somebody their life.
“I believe that there are people right across the country who have information, who know the people who are responsible for carrying out these vile crimes, and I am asking them to come forward before somebody loses their life.”
Ms McEntee made the comments as the Government was accused in the Dáil of doing “almost nothing” about the escalation of attacks on properties earmarked for refugees.
People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said there had been 26 arson attacks in the last five years against premises rumoured to be used for asylum seekers.
Speaking in the Dáil, he said ordinary people must take a stand against the “terrorism of the far right”.
He said rumours emerge online suggesting a property is going to be used and far-rights activists arrive in the area, and a few days later the property is burned down.
Mr Murphy named several people who are “quick to the scene” when buildings are rumoured to be housing refugees, but later said he was not linking those people to the arson attacks.
“We should call what we are seeing what it is. We are witnessing a campaign of far-right terrorism in this state,” Mr Murphy said.
“And what has been the response? Almost nothing. Nobody charged, fiddling while the country burns. We finally have three arrests this morning for the arson in Ringsend.”
Minister for Finance Michael McGrath said gardaí are doing everything to address the “heinous” crimes, but arson attacks are difficult to solve.
“We utterly condemn any criminal act, where properties are being deliberately set on fire. It is arson. It is a criminal act and the gardaí are investigating,” he told the Dáil.
“You’ve acknowledged arrests have been made today in one particular case, but the best thing that we can do is to reaffirm our support for the work of An Garda Síochána, that we will give them the necessary resources and whatever support that they need to do their work.
“These are difficult crimes to solve, let’s be honest, but they will do everything they possibly can to solve them and to send files to the DPP and ultimately achieve conviction.
“I think it’s important that we do stand together and provide our support because these are heinous crimes that could not just end up in damaging or destroying property, but could end up taking human life, and that is the real risk that we are very concerned about.
“I know you are concerned about it as well. As a Government we have responded as comprehensively as we can with the support of the people to a wave of migration that we have had to respond to because of the war in Ukraine.”
Mr Murphy blamed social inequalities on the government, accusing Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil of neglecting communities.
“The reason we have a housing crisis is not because of immigration, but it’s because you push the profits of big developers and landlords ahead of people’s need for a home,” the Dublin South West TD said.
“We have a health crisis because you put the private hospitals and the insurance companies first.
“We have deep inequalities, we have neglected communities because of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael which have run the stage ever since its foundation.
“That is why ordinary people need to take a stand against the terrorism of the far right, against the racism, homophobia, sexism and hate that they tried to spread and against the housing crisis and inequality that you have created.”
