TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has warned that society must not allow the far-right to “hijack” the Irish national flag, while Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the country is “at a tipping point” when it comes to anti-immigration sentiment. 

It comes after Dublin City Council said it would hold meetings with senior gardaí over the erection of the tricolour in public spaces, following a dispute over their use in parts of the capital.

It’s part of an emerging standoff over the tricolour’s wider use by anti-migrant groups in their self-proclaimed bid to reclaim the flag, which has featured heavily at demonstrations and pickets against accommodation for people in international protection over recent years.

This has been opposed by some politicians on Dublin City Council who call it “weaponisation” of the national flag and a means to “mark territory” in the capital.

It also coincides which has seen a surge in people erecting both the union flag and the England flag in their local areas, including painting the latter on public spaces like roundabouts and zebra crossings.

Those responsible have said it is to show patriotism, but others have said the motivation stems from anti-migrant sentiment amid tensions over immigration in the UK. 

Asked about the Government’s position on DCC meeting with gardaí at the launch of the new disability strategy, Simon Harris said his own view is that he would like to see more tricolours.

“We made a lot of progress during the time we were commemorating centenaries and bringing tricolours to every school. A second tricolour now flies at Government Buildings, and we’re very proud of our flag,” he said. 

But the Tánaiste said there are “very clear” rules around how you properly and respectfully display the national flag and emphasised that it must be done correctly. 

“The tricolour should never be hijacked or used to represent something that is against what this Republic stands for,” he said.

“I welcome more flags, but we saw our flag hijacked by one group for many years. We’re sure as hell not going to allow the far-right now hijack our flag.”

People carrying tricolours at an anti-immigration demonstration in Dublin earlier this year. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Micheál Martin said there is an established tradition in terms of having respect for the national flag. 

“Watching what’s happening in the UK, I don’t like it,” he said. 

He said he had seen people defending “what’s going on now” and saying “if you have a problem with the national flag on a flagpole, you should maybe leave the country, there’s something wrong with you, you’re not Irish”.

“That’s not right. That kind of comment is out of order, and we shouldn’t be trying to ‘other’ other people, and trying to question people’s citizenship or their Irishness because of their origins perhaps, or the colour of their skin.”

Martin said there was now “a coarseness in public discourse” that was very worrying. He said this is particularly prevalent on social media, where the level of toleration for debate and discussion “is limiting and restrictive all the time, on all sides”.

“We need to create space for debate and discussion and engagement on issues, and this is one of the big challenges of modern society and how we engage with social media.”

He said it also creates challenges for the legal system and the criminal justice system in Ireland.

“When you see how it’s applied to migration, for example, it’s appalling, and it creates an atmosphere which then can lead to assault and to violence against innocent people, false narratives and so forth. There is an onus on all of us, collectively, to resist this and to challenge it.”

The Fianna Fáil leader said that Ireland had so far resisted “what has transpired in other societies” in terms of hate and anti-immigration sentiment. But he said: 

We are at a tipping point in Ireland. I’m concerned about it and I think this has to be resisted.

He said that while there was “a lot of people making noise”, the “vast majority” of people in Ireland understand “the important contribution that people from different nationalities have made to our society over the last number of decades”.

“We have to defend what I think have been fundamental values within our society for a long, long time.”

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