12-08-2025
Attacks on Indian community 'despicable', says Archbishop of Dublin
The Catholic Archbishop of Dublin has said that recent attacks on members of the Indian community are "completely and utterly despicable".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Archbishop Dermot Farrell said it is time to call out those who peddle racial hatred following a number of unprovoked attacks in Dublin.
He said a small of people are making life exceedingly difficult for members of the Indian community when they go out in public.
Archbishop Farrell said the Indian community is very much integrated into society, and many have been invited here to work in essential services.
He said the community should support gardaí as they deal with these matters.
Archbishop Farrell said he will be writing to all parishes and parish councils and asking them to support the community, and will also be writing to schools when they reopen to bring about good integration within communities.
He said that there are people who know the people carrying out the attacks and they need to come forward to gardaí.
He added that there is no place for this behaviour in our society where people are attacked on public streets simply because of their skin colour.
He said that he regularly meets members of the Indian community looking after loved ones, sick relatives.
They are recognised as being exceptional good in the roles they do, he said.
"We need these people to run our society so we have to respect them," said Archbishop Farrell.
"We need to support them."
Yesterday, the Ireland India Council has announced that it will not go ahead with the India Day festival at Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park this Sunday because of fears over safety, following recent attacks on Indians in Ireland.
Speaking outside Government buildings after a meeting with Tánaiste Simon Harris, the chair of the council Prashant Shuki said: "We feel that the situation at the moment for holding India Day is not conducive, and we will review the situation, and we will announce new dates for India Day this year."
He said the council had considered the situation and consulted widely including with gardaí before making what he described as a very difficult decision.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Harris condemned the spate of attacks on the Indian community as "despicable", adding that they need to be "called out and condemned by all".
"The Indian community have made and continue to make a very positive contribution to Irish society.
"There's around 80,000 people from India living in Ireland, and I want to acknowledge the very positive contribution that they make," Mr Harris said.
He added that the Indian community in Ireland "very much felt that more needs to be done with younger people at school levels to tackle racism".
