Before proceeding to Budget Statements, I call on the Taoiseach to lead expressions of sympathy on the deaths of ten members of the Traveller community in Carrickmines, County Dublin and Garda Anthony Golden in Omeath, County Louth. As there was no provision for this in the order made last Thursday, we need the agreement of the Taoiseach and the House. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Deaths of Garda and Members of the Traveller Community: Expressions of Sympathy
There will be brief expressions of sympathy by group leaders - the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the leaders of Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and the Technical Group - and the Budget Statements will then be taken. Other Members who wish to express sympathy will be given an opportunity to do so at a future date.
I know I can speak for everyone in the House when I express deep shock and sadness at the deaths over the weekend in separate but equally tragic events of ten family members at Carrickmines, County Dublin and the murder of a member of An Garda Síochána in Omeath, County Louth. Thomas and Sylvia Connors and their children, Jim, Christy and baby Mary; Willie Lynch and Tara Gilbert and their daughters, Kelsey and Jodie; Jimmy Lynch, a brother of Willie; and Garda Tony Golden: to us they have become the names of the dead but for those who knew them, loved them and mourn them, they are still the possessors of a life lived and unlived, of hopes and dreams, with all of their joys and sorrows, innocence and expectations, the birthdays uncelebrated, the children unborn, all the milestones in what we call life that will now never be reached.
On Sunday I visited the scene of the inferno at Carrickmines, the location where so many adults and children had lost their lives to corrosive smoke and intense heat, and it will remain with me forever. The silence and sadness of the people in attendance demonstrated their solidarity with the families and the children as Garda technical personnel went about their work amidst the carnage evident on the site.
To the Lynch and Connors families and to their extended families, I extend our prayers and our deepest sympathies on their tragic loss. My thoughts are also with the two children now so sadly orphaned and who are still in hospital under treatment for their injuries.
Just as Irish people felt a justified pride at our international achievements abroad, once more our country held its breath as news of another garda murdered in the line of duty became known. Garda Tony Golden from Culleens outside Ballina, a community garda with a passion for public service, was cruelly taken from this life while carrying out his public duty. That passion and idea of public duty will forever counter the capacity for casual destruction that he met on Sunday. Tony Golden was a proud member of Na Stiofánaigh, the Ballina Stephenites, and he lived their rallying cry of "Forward to the goal of victory." He will be so sadly missed by his beloved family and especially by Nicola and their three beautiful children, to whom we extend our deepest and heartfelt sympathy, as we do to his heartbroken colleagues, the Garda Commissioner and the community with whom he served so generously. His conduct and his spirit remind me of the words of the poet who penned the following lines just across the water from Ballina:
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.
I hope too that young Siobhan Phillips makes a recovery from her injuries in hospital.
For both the Golden family and the extended Connors and Lynch families, it will be very difficult and might now seem impossible for those who remain behind to find their co-ordinates of sense and survival in the dark weeks, months and time ahead as we approach Christmas and beyond. Their lives, within those precious short lives, will forever be cherished by those they leave behind. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anam dílis. The Tricolour, symbol of our country, will fly at half mast on all public buildings on the occasion of the funerals.
As Tánaiste and on behalf of the Labour Party, I want to express my deepest sympathies to the families who have lost their loved ones in the terrible tragedies at Carrickmines and Omeath. This was a truly horrific weekend, a desperate weekend that affected not just one family or one community or many and it was all the more heartbreaking because it took place against a weekend which was also a celebration of all that is best in Ireland. Twelve people and one unborn child have lost their lives and for their families, friends and colleagues, we cannot fathom the depth of their grief. We see the pictures of five beautiful children, of a smiling father with his young family, of the burnt-out remains of a family home. We see these images and our hearts are broken. In a halting site in south Dublin, a deadly fire has brought about loss of life on a scale not witnessed in Ireland for many years. It is a devastating blow to the Traveller community who cherish and value family connections more than most, so we grieve with the members of the Traveller community for the loss that the whole community has suffered.
In a quiet village in County Louth, we are moved by the bravery of a young garda who laid down his life carrying out his duty. Garda Tony Golden left behind a wife and three young children and, as it is nowadays with social media, we see the smiling photos of Garda Golden, his lovely wife and his beautiful children and it is hard to actually comprehend that his name will be added to the list in the main hall in Templemore of those gardaí who have laid down their lives for the people of this country and for the service of the State.
His death is a reminder of the dangers the men and women of An Garda Síochána encounter every day on our behalf and we are thankful for their courage. To all members of the Garda family, I extend my sympathy and that of everybody I have met in recent days who are in complete shock at what has happened to a garda, a member of the force, in carrying out his duty.
May all those who have died rest in peace. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anam.
Ba mhaith liom, ar son mo pháirtí agus ar mo shon féin, comhbhrón a dhéanamh le muintir Uí Loinsigh, Uí Chonchúir agus Gilbert as ucht an chaillte ollmhóir a tharla dóibh i rith an deireadh seachtaine seo caite. Is dochreidte an méid daoine, go háirithe leanaí óga, a fuair bás i gCarraig Mhaighin. Is léir go bhfuil pobal na tíre seo an-tógtha agus an-bhuartha faoin scéal tragóideach seo. Gan amhras, tá ár smaointe agus ár bpaidreacha leis na daoine a fuair bás agus a gclainne go léir. Maraon leis sin, déanaim combhrón le clann Tony Golden, go háirithe a bhean Nicola, a leanaí Lucy, Alex agus Andrew agus an clann go léir as ucht bhás Tony. Fear lách, cróga agus proifisiúnta ab ea é.
I join the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste in adding, on my own behalf and that of my party, our sincerest sympathy to the Lynch, Gilbert and Connors families on their enormous loss. The relatives of those who died and the community in Carrickmines are understandably devastated at the enormous loss of life. People across the island of Ireland were truly numbed by this appalling inferno in which one entire family was taken from us. Ten people and an unborn child lost their lives in the tragedy. The pictures showing how close the families were, full of the joys of life, beamed out at us from every newspaper are particularly poignant and illustrate the enormity of the loss. It is particularly heart-breaking for the families and the Traveller community, in particular, but also for the wider community.
It is important on occasions like this when we experience such a terrible loss that we all reflect on the scale of such a loss and particularly the number of young children who died. I believe this is the largest loss of life in a fire in Ireland since 1981. As a society, we can never be too vigilant in protecting children and must always take every affirmative action we can to fully realise that obligation.
I also express the sincere sympathy and extend the condolences of my party to Nicola Golden; her children, Lucy, Alex and Andrew, and the extended family of Garda Tony Golden, particularly his parents, David and Breege; his sister, Mary, and four brothers. He was taken brutally in the line of duty on Sunday. His very last act was to help someone in dire need, as a result of which he made the ultimate sacrifice by losing his own life. He was known by colleagues as a very gentle man who was absolutely professional in the performance of his duties. He was a brave garda who always considered others first and foremost. We must remember, of course, that he was a son, a husband and a loving father to three young children. It is horrendous that he was taken in the prime of his life. He was a very popular man, both in County Mayo and County Louth where he worked and lived with his family in recent years. As the Taoiseach said, the people who knew him have some very heart-warming stories about his playing days with Ballina Stephenites in County Mayo. He stood out from a very early age - I think he was taller than most when he played on the Ballina Stephenites under-14 team. He was always and ever fundamentally a pillar of the community.
His colleagues speak glowingly about his pride in An Garda Síochána and his absolute commitment to the public service and to people in all circumstances. He has paid with his life for his dedication to his profession and his valour while helping a woman who was a victim of domestic violence. We wish Siobhan Phillips a full recovery from her terrible and traumatic ordeal as well.
It is important that we always remember Garda Tony Golden and the other 88 gardaí that have died while protecting the people of this State since 1922. They are the foundation stone upon which our society and democracy is built. The Golden family deserve every support that we can give while they try to come to terms with their enormous loss. Ar Dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilís.
Ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón a dhéanamh le teaghlach agus le cairde na ndaoine a fuair bás sa tine i gCarraig Mhaighin maidin Dé Sathairn seo caite, le clann agus le cairde Garda Tony Golden a dúnmharaíodh oíche Dé Domhnaigh seo caite, le clann Adrian Mackin, le Siobhán Phillips agus a clann, leis an duine gan dídean a fuarthas marbh ag doras ar Shráid Westmoreland maidin Dé Domhnaigh, agus leis an Athair Gearóid Ó Donnchadha a fuair bás i dtine san Fhianait. The deaths of ten citizens, many of them children on a Traveller halting site in a horrifying fire, another apparent death of a homeless man in the capital and the brutal murder of Garda Tony Golden and the wounding of Siobhan Phillips have left families bereaved and traumatised and communities numb with shock and disbelief.
On behalf of Sinn Féin I extend my sincerest condolences to the extended families of Thomas and Sylvia Connors, their children Jim, Christy and Mary, who was aged just six months; William Lynch, his partner Tara Gilbert, their children Jodie and Kelsey and William's brother Jimmy. Tara was also pregnant with their third child.
I also want to express our condolences to the entire Traveller community. Today is a moment for the Dáil to stand in solidarity with that community, but we have to do more than that, it is a time also for that solidarity to be extended beyond rhetoric and into practical expressions. It is crucially important that the heartbreak arising from the calamity in Carrickmines galvanises Government and local authorities to prioritise living accommodation for Travellers and to ensure that the tragedy of Carrickmines is never repeated.
The morning after the fire in Carrickmines, the body of a homeless man in his 30s was found in the doorway of a shop on Westmoreland Street. While the circumstances of his death are still not entirely clear, I offer our condolences to his family and friends also.
Ba mhaith liom mo chomhbhrón ó chroí a dhéanamh le bean agus le clann Garda Tony Golden agus cúnamh a thabhairt dá gcomrádaithe sa Gharda Síochána agus seasamh leo. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. Garda Tony Golden was murdered in Omeath. On behalf of Sinn Féin I extend my sympathies and solidarity to his family, his friends and his comrades in An Garda Síochána. Tony Golden was a respected, dedicated Garda officer who was deeply embedded in the community of Omeath and the Cooley Peninsula. On Sunday he was going about his work as a garda serving the community. He was brutally killed as he helped a young woman, a mother who was a victim of domestic abuse and violence. Today this Dáil rightly pays tribute to his courage, dedication and selflessness. He is a hero.
Adrian Mackin, who tried to murder his partner and who then brutally killed Garda Golden, was allegedly a violent dissident. Four years ago, so-called dissidents killed PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr. His mother, Nuala, speaking then said "We all need to stand up and be counted and to strive for equality. We don't want to go back to the dark days again of fear and terror." Nuala Kerr was right. She was right four years ago and her words are right again for today. None of these groups have anything positive to offer society. On behalf of the people of Louth and on behalf of Sinn Féin I want to make it clear that we have no time for those who exploit and disgrace the proud tradition and noble calling of republicanism for their own self-serving and selfish ends.
These people are the enemies of republicanism. They are the enemies of the peace process and if any rational people are involved with these violent groups, the aftermath of the killing of Garda Golden and the wounding of Siobhan Phillips presents an opportunity for them to do the right thing, that is, to leave, do bheith imithe and to do it now. Members offer their best wishes to Siobhan Phillips and their sympathies to An Garda Síochána, which has lost a much respected and esteemed member of its service. Bhí Tony Golden gnóthach sa phobal mar bhall de Chumann Lúthchleas Gael agus mar bhall den scéim Pobal ar Aire, scéim lena dtacaíonn Sinn Féin go láidir sna Cooleys. Tá Contae Lú agus an tír ar fad síos leis mar gheall ar an tragóid seo. Ba mhaith liom arís mo chomhbhrón a dhéanamh le bean chéile agus le clann Tony Golden.
For the second time in three years, the people of the Cooley Peninsula and the Garda are grieving for an officer who served his community with distinction and integrity. It also has brought memories of the vicious slaying three years ago of Garda Adrian Donohoe, another garda serving the community who was gunned down by criminals. There are real questions about the lack of Garda resources in County Louth and about the Government's commitment to policing.
They have not gone away you know.
There are questions about the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Public Prosecution Service but these are questions for another time and another day. Today is a day to show Members' appreciation of the work of An Garda Síochána and in particular, of Garda Tony Golden. To his family and to all those others who have lost loved ones in An Garda Síochána, I offer my condolences and solidarity.
The Tánaiste rightly said it should have been a weekend of celebration, and it was, but it turned out to be a weekend of great tragedy, which overshadowed an opportunity for great celebration for the nation. All the eloquent words that already have been spoken cannot express the shock and sorrow which struck people in this House and nationwide and which all Members feel today. Sometimes, the most eloquent thing one can do is to be silent and the minute's silence at the end probably will be a greater tribute to the people who died this weekend than anything Members can say in the Chamber today.
I visited Carrickmines on Saturday morning and what struck me about this awful event was not what people said but what they did not say. There was an extraordinary atmosphere there, just after ten people had died, of people saying nothing because there was nothing they could say, because they felt so utterly and totally helpless in the situation that had arisen and were stunned. There were gardaí, ambulance people, locals and others present, all of whom were utterly shocked in disbelief at what had happened to the Travelling community. There is a particular unpleasantness about the fact this has happened to a group who are marginalised in society and traditionally are defenceless. On behalf of the Technical Group, I wish to sympathise with all the families involved and their relations.
Equally, I wish to sympathise on behalf of my colleagues with the relatives of Garda Anthony Golden, who was simply doing his duty. While one is too many, there have been several incidents of gardaí being murdered in situations like this. Let us hope the circumstances in which he found himself and in particular, he who pulled the trigger, will not be repeated and something can be done to prevent these appalling things happening again. I was travelling back from Cardiff on a bus and when we got the news that this had happened, there once again was an extraordinary silence which descended on everybody. They did not really know what to say because in that moment of triumph, they suddenly found disaster. This is a reality of life.
It is the duty of those of us in this House to do as much as possible to prevent those things happening. I wish also to mention the loss of yet another life of equal importance, namely, the homeless person who died in Westmoreland Street on Saturday night. While I do not think the name of this person is yet known it is imperative that that life is not lost in the more high profile tragedies which we witnessed over the weekend. I wish to express my sympathy to all three families and pray that we in this House can do something to prevent these things happening again.
Members rose.