Minute’s silence in Dáil and Seanad for fallen of Paris attacks

A minute’s silence was observed in the Dáil and in the Seanad to honour those who died and were injured in the Paris attacks.

There was sustained applause for French ambassador to Ireland Jean-Pierre Thébault and embassy staff in the distinguished visitors’ gallery.

Mr Thébault and his colleagues also attended the Seanad for the minute’s silence in the Upper House.

The French ambassador had been welcomed by Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett who said everybody was shocked and horrified by Friday’s events.

“On behalf of Dáil Éireann I will to extend our sincere and deepest condolences to the families, friends and everyone affected by these senseless attacks,” he said. “We stand foursquare in solidarity and in sympathy with the people of France.”

Saying that “our thoughts and prayers are with the people of France at this particular time”, Mr Barrett then invited TDs to stand for a minute’s silence and he invited the audience watching Oireachtas TV at home to join with them in a mark of respect.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny said those acts of violence were a betrayal of any sense of religion or goodness.

“And they are an absolute betrayal of the common humanity of man. This barbarity will not be allowed to triumph over civilisation,” he said.

“These attacks must be seen for what they are – an attack on the fundamental values that are held dear, not only in France but in Ireland, throughout Europe and in the democratic world.”

He warned against blaming entire communities for the “terrible crimes of a small number of extremists”. This did not reflect the views of the Muslim community either in Ireland or in other states “and do not represent the honourable decent people who are going about their daily lives and who are equally appalled by Friday’s attacks”.

Garda review

He said An Garda Síochána were keeping the situation under constant review and “all the agencies here co-operate closely in respect of any threats that are identified. They will also continue to work with their EU and other international security and intelligence counterparts in responding to these threats.”

Mr Kenny added that “our approach will of course continue to be based on international human rights principles and fully respect the rule of law”.

He said “we do this not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because these are precisely the values that were under attack last week”.

Tánaiste Joan Burton who highlighted the links between Ireland and France asked why these attacks took place.

“Why would men look to treat their fellow men and women with such callous cruelty. Maybe they are psychopaths; maybe they are common criminals.”

She said French president Francois Hollande was right when he said “we cannot have liberty without security”.

But she warned that in efforts to deal with attacks “we risk the very republican values which we are looking to defend”.

She said that “in declaring a state of emergency, we are suspending some of the rights that we hold dear . . . The republican state must defend itself but it risks diminishing itself in the process.”

She said Ireland knew the risks.

“We know that terrorism cannot be allowed to win but we also know that some of the measures aimed at defeating terrorism run the risk of recruiting others to its cause.

“We know there is a balance to be struck and we should be forever conscious of the consequences of the decisions we take.”

She said “our friends in France will do what they can to defeat the military threat of Daesh”, the pejorative term used for Islamic State. “After the events of Friday, the French people are entitled to expect nothing less.”

But she said “there are limits to what can be achieved through military action. Daesh will be defeated militarily some day – and the sooner the better. But there is another battle . . . which must be won if the threat of extremism is to be defeated.”