One TD has criticised 'Government spin' over the housing crisis and the far-left.
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith was speaking as a newly-formed #IrelandForAll coalition will march in Dublin on Saturday.
The groups represented included Le Chéile, the National Women’s Council, Fórsa, SIPTU and Amnesty International.
Political parties such as People Before Profit, Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats are also taking part.
#IrelandForAll. On the 18th Feb 1.30pm Parnell Square we come together to stand against hate and march to celebrate the rich diversity in Ireland and build on a country grounded in a shared vision of love, respect and equality. We are Stronger Together! pic.twitter.com/johUItrFFv
— Ireland / IrelandForAll (@ireland) February 13, 2023
Deputy Smith told Newstalk Breakfast recent far-right protests have been the impetus for this.
"There's an awful lot of people out there who don't like it, who feel uncomfortable with it, who are anti-racist - but do have a problem with the way the Government has handled everything," she said.
"There just has to be a seachange in how we do things.
"This also has to come back to the Government's door; because if we didn't have a housing crisis in the first place, there would have been no... hate for the situation people are in.
"I have people coming to me every day of the week who are 14, 16, 18, 20 years on a housing list and then they see people coming in and they feel resentful".
'Spin'
Put to her that the rhetoric around housing - and framing everything as a 'crisis' - has been hijacked by the far-right and is polarising, she denied this was the case.
"That's the spin of Leo Varadkar and the Government," she said.
"We all know how well-paid their spin doctors are.
"They're all repeating the same mantra: far-right equals far-left, yous are all the same.
"Actually I think we have to make a distinction.
"It's pure spin... it's one that the Government has been informed to use, because you can see them all one after the other repeating the same mantra".
'Government has failed'
Asked if Taoiseach Leo Varadkar would be welcome on this march, she said: "I doubt if he's going to come, but nobody would throw him off either.
"It would be a contradiction for the Taoiseach to come on this demonstration.
"One of the demands of the demonstration is housing for all, health service for all and public services for all - which is what this Government has failed to deliver.
"In particular Fine Gael, who have been in power for the last 10 years and they've failed on all those delivery of proper services for everybody," she added.
