Better communication ‘would not have made a difference’ preventing fire – Harris

Simon Harris has said that better communication from authorities would not have made “a blind bit of difference” in preventing a fire at a former pub in east Dublin.

The Minister for Further and Higher Education said there was an “extremely worrying trend” happening where vacant buildings were being set on fire on purpose.

A former pub in Ringsend was set alight on New Year’s Eve amid speculation it was going to be used to house immigrants. Authorities have since said that it was to be used for people who were homeless.

The incident followed a suspected arson attack at a disused hotel in Rosscahill, Co Galway, that was to be used to house asylum seekers days before Christmas.

On Thursday, Gardai said they were investigating suspected criminal damage by fire at an unoccupied building in Fethard, Co Tipperary.

The blaze broke out at around 9.20pm on Wednesday and was extinguished by local fire services.

Gardai have appealed for information to aid their investigations in all three cases and Mr Harris said that gardai were taking the matter “extraordinarily seriously”.

“What we’re seeing happening in this country right now – and I acknowledge that all political parties absolutely utterly condemn this – but what we’re seeing is an extremely worrying trend happening, where on an all-too-frequent basis, arson attacks are happening on vacant buildings.

“We’ve seen it in urban areas, we’ve seen it in rural areas.

“But we just need to be very, very careful that we don’t ever get to any sort of whataboutery in relation to some of what we have seen in this country.

“What we’re seeing, though, is extremely worrying – at a time of a real shortage of housing supply, where we as a government, and people on building sites right across the country on a daily basis are working to try and grow supply – that we see thugs and criminals torching buildings that could be made available to provide shelter to people.

“It is an extremely serious and concerning situation, and I know it’s being treated by the gardai as such.”

Asked about comments by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, who called for an “open, democratic conversation” on immigration, Mr Harris said that immigration was debated “on a very regular basis”.

“Government ministers get asked about it on a regular basis, it gets discussed in the Dail on a regular basis and I don’t know what an open debate on immigration means,” he said.

He added that people who were behind the fires “don’t do it in our name”.

“I think we just have to be really clear on this: what is the motivation of these people, other than to cause fear, terror, panic, divide, reduce the amount of housing supply in the middle of a housing emergency?” he said.

“It needs to be called out for what it is.

“I do feel grateful that we live in a country where, largely speaking, with some notable exceptions, there has been a degree of political consensus … And I think as we enter 2024, we need to be even more resolute in pulling together on recognising that there can never ever, ever be any sort of justification or whataboutery when it comes to these arson attacks.”

Asked whether there could have been better communication from authorities in the case of the Ringsend fire, Mr Harris said it would not have made a difference.

“That’s the space I just don’t think we should get into because while I think communication with communities is extraordinarily important – as a constituency politician, I know the importance of that myself – but I don’t believe that in and of itself would have made a blind bit of difference, because the people who torched a building, not prejudicing any investigation, aren’t people who wanted better communication, they’re people who are spreading hatred,” he said.

“These people didn’t want to be briefed on what were the plans. They wanted to cause fear and damage, criminal damage.

“So I don’t believe having a public meeting would have changed the motivations of people who torched a building.

“So there are two important issues. But they’re two different issues. Of course, we need to keep on working as government to communicate and update, and there’s a huge amount of work ongoing in relation to that in building teams in the local authorities, and all of that is happening and needs to continue.

“But it’s a big leap to go from a communications issue, to trying to in any way, shape or form suggest that failing to communicate has resulted in somebody torching a building and I just don’t buy into that.”

Mr Harris was speaking as he announced a package of supports for third-level students included as part of Budget 2024.

From next week, 60,000 students will benefit from up to 342 euro in maintenance grants, as well as a 3,000-euro increase in the stipend for PhD researchers funded by the Irish Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland.