Varadkar says resignations “not the answer” to Dublin crime issues

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has defended Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris against calls for them to resign, saying that their resignations are not the answer.

He told the Dáil on Tuesday that those who took part in last week’s riots would see the resignations as “a victory and it may even embolden them.”

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald repeated her calls for both McEntee and Harris to resign in the wake of last week’s riots, saying she has no confidence in either of them.

McDonald, who represents the constituency where the events of last Thursday took place, said that McEntee and Harris have “lost control” of Dublin and said she had “zero confidence” in carrying out their duties.

Varadkar said that removing the Garda Commissioner is a decision that should be made in the context of electoral politics.

“Interfering in who gets appointed to, or are removed from positions such as Garda Commissioner, should not be taken lightly,” he said.

“Here in this chamber, we’ve seen justice ministers have their reputations destroyed, the chamber and opposition acting as judge, jury and executioner, only for those justice ministers to be vindicated at a later date. And I don’t believe that should happen again.”

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty told RTÉ that his party were exploring the possibility of launching a vote of no confidence in McEntee.

There have been rumblings within the Irish media landscape that Fianna Fáil backbenchers are expressing displeasure in McEntee’s performance as Minister, with Government under pressure to instil discipline within a coalition that has seen its Dáil majority shrink since taking office in 2020 thanks to by-elections and dissenting members voting against Government on key votes.

“Minister McEntee has seen how much work she can get done as Minister for Justice and she’ll be doing plenty more,” Varadkar told the Dáil.

He accused McDonald of “playing politics” and “looking for heads” instead of working on policy that he says would make the people of Dublin feel safe.

McDonald replied that public confidence in the legal system is at “rock bottom” and accused McEntee of “the most brazen arse-covering” she has witnessed in her time as a TD

McEntee cited her attempts to improve the situation in Dublin city centre, pointing to the opening of the garda station on O’Connell Street, which McDonald took umbrage with.

“Don’t come in here and play a game of make-believe,” McDonald replied.

“You could literally be about to breathe your last breath and the solitary “unfortunate” in the O’Connell Street office could not leave their desk and come out to help,” McDonald claimed.

Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon, who also represents the Dublin Central constituency, told Newstalk “you can’t police a city like Dublin on overtime.”

“You have Guards based around O’Connell Street, rightfully so, but they’re working various different shifts – it’s not actually a consistent presence of Guards,” he noted.

“The Guards are taken in ad-hoc from other spaces, there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of a strategy there.”

Gannon says he has no confidence in Harris, but stopped short of calling for the resignation of McEntee.