Jennifer Carroll MacNeill seems to have misrepresented Sinn Féin’s stance on anti-immigrant protests in Ballybrack.
By Conor O’Carroll.
An emotional outburst in the Dáil last week from Minister of State, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, in the wake of the riots in Dublin accused the party of “playing both sides of every argument” in relation to anti-immigration protests held in Ballybrack over the summer.
“I’m not saying this politically”, the Fine Gael TD for Dún Laoghaire told the Dáil, “I’m saying this because we lived through it in Ballybrack in July”.
The South Dublin village was rocked by days of protests during the summer that culminated in a rock being thrown through the window of the family home of independent Councillor Hugh Lewis. Attached to the rock was a note warning Councillor Lewis to “stop supporting refugees”.
Minster Carroll MacNeill continued by telling the Dáil that Sinn Féin “did nothing to help” quell the anger on the streets of Dublin.
“Sinn Féin had representatives locally, was active on the ground and had councillors in Killiney-Shankill. The only people who did not help me and did not help Deputies [Richard] Boyd Barrett, [Cormac] Devlin and [Ossian] Smyth or the gardaí were Sinn Féin representatives”, she said.
Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh retorted across the chamber that “you don’t even know your own area”, referencing the fact that Sinn Féin doesn’t have any councillors in Dún Laoghaire County Council, having lost all three seats at the 2019 local elections.
Despite this intervention, Minister Carroll MacNeill persisted, saying “We needed your help. You were on the ground, had a strong local presence and did nothing to help. I will never forget it”.
While Sinn Féin may not have an elected representative in Dún Laoghaire, they do still have a local presence through their area representatives.
Village found a statement posted to Facebook by Sinn Féin Dún Laoghaire on 14 July condemning the protests taking place outside refugee and asylum centres and calling for them to “stop immediately”.
“People, who have been traumatised in the process of getting here, should not be subject to further trauma by people protesting and harassing them”, the statement continued, before directing attention towards the government’s “failures”.
The statement also took issue with those “who are deliberately using this issue to stoke hatred towards others, to spread scare stories with little or no basis in truth”, while also criticising the protesters who “seem intent on spreading lies in relation to our party and its policies”.
Stefani Doyle-Howlett, the Sinn Féin representative for Killiney/Shankill, the local electoral area encompassing Ballybrack village, also took part in a video alongside Councillor Lewis, Richard Boyd Barrett TD and Councillor Melisa Halpin calling for the people of Dún Laoghaire to stand together and “say no to hate and fear, [and] yes to decency and respect”.
And in the days following the protests, a Rally for Decency and Respect and Against Hate and Fear in Dún Laoghaire was held, where Sinn Féin’s Dún Laoghaire representative, Shane O’Brien, told the hundreds that turned out that “protests outside of places where vulnerable people are being accommodated are wrong and should be condemned by anyone who upholds the Irish value of community”.
Minster Carroll MacNeill continued by telling the Dáil that Sinn Féin “did nothing to help” quell the anger on the streets of Dublin
Sinn Féin have since called on Minister Carroll MacNeill to correct the Dáil record, with O’Brien rejecting the comments made.
“On behalf of members of Sinn Féin in Ballybrack and across Dún Laoghaire, I absolutely reject the nonsense uttered by Minister Carroll MacNeill during her contribution this week in the Dáil, O’Brien said.
“She purposefully misled the Dáil and should be made to come back and correct the record. Language is extremely important relating to these matters, and the fact that a government minister would spread misinformation to the level which she did was shocking”
Sinn Féin’s Dún Laoghaire representative, Shane O’Brien said: “She purposefully misled the Dáil and should be made to come back and correct the record. Language is extremely important relating to these matters, and the fact that a government minister would spread misinformation to the level which she did was shocking”.
“Sinn Féin members, myself included, help organised, participated and spoke at numerous events, including a major demonstration in Dún Laoghaire town centre, against the attacks and protests in Ballybrack”, the statement continues.
Village contacted Minister Carroll MacNeill’s office seeking further context to her comments in the Dáil but did not receive a response prior to publication.
A spokesperson for the Minister later provided the following response: “The Minister specifically mentioned a crucial meeting arranged by the community Gardaí to help diffuse the situation in Ballybrack. This was due to take place on July 27th at 2 pm in Loughlinstown Community Rooms and was to be attended by members of the community who it was believed would have influence over some of those protesting. The hope was to ease concerns and the resulting protests at the time. Both Minister Carroll MacNeill and Mr. O’Brien were to attend this meeting. Mr. O’Brien withdrew from the crucial meeting minutes before it was due to start and the meeting then did not proceed. This was a huge disappointment as it was a key opportunity to help reduce the incidence of conflict at the time. The protests and public order difficulties persisted for a number of weeks thereafter”.
The spokesperson also stated that the Minister “is aware that Sinn Fein do not have an elected representative in that electoral area since that election” and “referred in the Dáil to them having had a Councillor there previously”.
