Rabbitte warns about planned 1916 parade

Labour leader Pat Rabbitte warned about the possible implications of the planned Easter Rising commemoration, following the violence in Dublin last Saturday.

"We need to exercise caution in the way in which we plan to commemorate key events in Irish history, such as the 1916 Rising. Nothing should be done that would give those who caused such mayhem in Dublin further excuse to vent their sectarian hatred."

Mr Rabbitte said there was a need to look at practices that might promote sectarian attitudes, even unconsciously, in Irish society. "We need to look at new models that could facilitate the greater integration of children from different religions. We need to do more for groups like Educate Together that promote multidenominational or non-denominational education."

Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe suggested that a small independent three-person group be established to examine what happened. This would not be to assign blame, but to isolate the problems and suggest solutions.

The people he had in mind to form the group, he said, were Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly, perhaps some former senior political figure, such as Alan Dukes or Nora Owen, and a current or former senior police officer with experience in public disorder from outside the State. Mr O'Keeffe said that any hope that the people of Ireland could make a gesture of faith to the unionist community, by welcoming them to Dublin, was utterly usurped by selfish thugs and ignorant yobs.

Green Party leader Trevor Sargent said that as a southern Protestant he wanted to say to northern Protestants, now hearing how visitors to Dublin were greeted, that sectarianism was not a feature of the State.

"It is important that message goes out. But there is a difference between an absence of sectarianism and a proactive inclusiveness. I think this State has much more to do. We have a ceasefire, we have a peace process, but we are not moving on sufficiently or quick enough." He said that the Garda felt under-resourced and some members suffered from low morale.

Seán Crowe (SF, Dublin South West) said Saturday's events were an absolute disgrace. "Those who took part misused the name of Irish republicanism and Irish nationalism, but they were anything but Irish republicans or Irish nationalists in the real sense. This was a tiny and totally unrepresentative minority, a mixture of people on the fringes of micro-political groups, football hooligans and drink-fuelled opportunists.

"They were a rag-bag who saw an opportunity to create havoc and took it." He said that while his party profoundly disagreed with Willie Frazer, it had chosen not to oppose the march down O'Connell Street, "notwithstanding the fact that we believe it was deliberately provocative and insensitively organised".

Tony Gregory (Independent, Dublin Central) said that as a local representative he felt it was self-evident that the decision to allow the O'Connell street route to be used was an error of judgment. There clearly had been a breakdown in intelligence gathering.

He said that not one address of those charged following the violence was from his local Dublin Central constituency. "As of now, any suggestion that the north-inner city was somehow at least in part to blame was not based on available evidence."

Joe Higgins (Socialist Party, Dublin West) condemned the violence but said his party believed the Love Ulster campaign was a sectarian organisation.