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The Social Democrats’ Galway representative has called on gardaí to step up safety measures for minority groups following an attack on a mosque in the city last night.

Niall Ó Tuathail described the incident as cowardly, and said he had recently written to local gardaí to raise concerns about the emergence of an apparent neo-Nazi group in Galway.

Mr Ó Tuathail said:

“This cowardly act does not represent Galway or Galwegians. Unfortunately, there are a small minority of people who want to make Muslims and other communities feel unsafe. This cannot be tolerated in any form. People of Muslim faith are welcome in Galway and contribute to the diversity and vibrancy of the city.

“In April, I wrote to Galway Division Chief Superintendent Tom Curley outlining concerns about the activities of an apparent neo-Nazi group. In that letter, I sought reassurances that minorities including the Muslim community were safe from attack from such groups. Last night’s mosque attack shows that increased safety measures by gardaí are urgently needed.

“Nationally, we need to look at whether hate crime legislation could be enacted that would provide additional safety to minority groups and give the Gardaí greater powers for early intervention.”

ENDS

6 June 2017

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