SINN FÉIN TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh has said the Government is failing to keep people in Dublin safe after a group of tourists was attacked in the city centre over the weekend. 

The Daily Mail reported that the tourists, from France and South America, had to seek refuge in a nearby pub after coming under attack from a group of teenagers throwing stones, one of whom was wielding a hammer.

Gardaí said they are investigating “reports of assault that occurred in the Dublin 8 area on Saturday evening”, and that investigations are ongoing. 

During the assault, witnesses said racist slurs were also directed at the tourists, who had to “barricade” themselves inside Arthur’s pub on Thomas Street, near the Guinness Storehouse, which they had just visited. 

Ó Snodaigh said his thoughts were with the tourists who were attacked, “and also the workers and local community who have been terrorised and intimidated by this kind of behaviour”. 

“Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident. Communities in the south inner-city simply do not feel safe, and have not felt safe for a long time.

“In our city centre, violence and disorder are far too common and people lack confidence that Gardaí will be able to attend quickly when a crime is reported,” he said.

He said it is Sinn Féin’s position that more gardaí need to be recruited and that the force needs more resources to support it. 

“Workers, business owners and residents are proud to live and work in Dublin but too often they live in fear of their safety,” he said.

Saturday’s incident was the latest attack on foreigners in the city centre. 

In July, a tourist from France was set upon by a group of people and attacked with a machete as he was called a “f***ing immigrant”. 

The previous month, a Canadian tourist was killed in an attack in Dublin city centre. 

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