merrion street

“I want to express my sympathy with those affected by yesterday’s attacks in Dundalk in which a young man from Japan, Yosuke Sasaki, was killed; our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. I want to wish those who were injured a speedy recovery.

I want to thank the Gardaí in Dundalk who responded to the attacks. An arrest was made yesterday morning shortly after the attacks took place and a young Egyptian man remains in custody. There has, understandably, been speculation and concern about the motivation for this attack. I welcome An Garda Síochána’s statement in this regard and would caution against drawing judgments until the Gardaí can establish the facts in the course of their investigation. The Gardaí are carrying out a full and urgent investigation into these attacks, and that must be allowed to take its course. This is a live criminal investigation and nothing should be said that would impinge on that investigation.

Anyone who has any concerns about crime or suspicious behaviour should contact the Gardaí immediately.”