Ciara Kelly slams ‘nonsense’ calls to cut Dublin rioters’ social welfare payments

The Newstalk Breakfast host was speaking after a number of Fine Gael ministers called for tough sentences for those involved in the violence that erupted in the capital following the stabbing of young children and a creche worker outside a city centre school on Thursday.

Minister of State Patrick O’Donovan said those involved in the riots should be “punished financially” and see their welfare stopped for taking part in the attack on the capital.

Mr O’Donovan questioned whether any of the rioters worked and said most of them are in bed when the rest of the country are up working to pay taxes for their lifestyle

He was supported by Ministers of State Neale Richmond and Jennifer O’Carroll McNeill in calls for “proper punitive” measures to be enforced.

Ciara agreed that the rioters should be punished for wreaking havoc on the city.

“They held the capital to ransom; they destroyed property, they burnt our public transport system,” she said.

"O'Connell Street was still smouldering the next day after this. We heard yesterday from a business owner on Abbey Street who cowered in a basement for two hours while they ransacked his shop."

However, she said that those involved shouldn’t be denied access to their social welfare payments.

"I think it's a nonsense to suggest we should cut people's social welfare," Ciara said.

"One of the issues that feeds into this kind of behaviour is deprivation and poverty, and we do need to recognise and acknowledge that.

"Making people poorer and making people worse-off and disenfranchising people more by cutting social welfare I think would only exacerbate the problem, I think it would backfire."

Her co-host, Shane Coleman said that it’s understandable that the public were angered by the violence in Dublin, but they must remember that Ireland has a system of law to follow when it comes to sanctioning the rioters.

"Talk is cheap and you get a lot of hot air at times like this," he said.

"Action is needed, we need a proper policing plan for Dublin city centre. This sort of, 'Lock 'em up and throw away the key stuff' as well is nonsense.

"We have prison sentences that are proportionate, and they will be handed out if people are found guilty.

"We do have a rule of law in this country, we've a system of law, we shouldn't throw everything out."

However, Ciara argued she doesn't believe that proportionate sentences are being handed out.