Sinn Féin has confirmed it plans to table a no confidence motion in the Justice Minister Helen McEntee next week.

Party leader Mary Lou McDonald has said her party has no confidence in Minister McEntee in the aftermath of protests and riots in Dublin last week.

It saw violence and looting following an earlier attack near Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire on Parnell Square last Thursday.

A woman and three young children were injured in the attack.

Speaking from outside Gaelscoil Coláiste Mhuire, Deputy McDonald said she believes something needs to change now.

"The truth is we have a Justice Minister who is not listening, a Government who is not listening," she said.

"What happened after the horrific events at the school - the mob violence, the rioting - everybody saw that coming.

"Everybody, that is, except those who are in charge."

We cannot have a Justice Minister who refuses to acknowledge the political failures that allowed our communities to become unsafe.

Sinn Féin has been forced to put down a motion of no confidence in the Minister for Justice because this government is not listening. pic.twitter.com/8Lsgd9W74P

— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) December 1, 2023

In a video on X, Deputy McDonald said people around the country do not feel safe.

"We have a situation where people don't feel safe, here in Dublin and beyond and yet we have a Government that doesn't understand [and] that doesn't want to hear that," she said.

"We've less Gardaí on the beat now than in 2009, even though we have a much bigger population.

Garda stations have been closed down; communities have not been invested in.

"Let me be clear, I have full confidence in the Gardaí and the Garda on the beat.

"I have zero confidence in the Justice Minister Helen McEntee, so we are moving a no confidence motion in her.

"We have no confidence in how this city is being policed, we have no confidence that there is a responsible, leaderly person in charge - and we need to change that," she added.

Deputy McDonald said the motion would be tabled on Tuesday.

"We have a situation where people don't feel safe, here in Dublin and beyond and yet we have a Government that doesn't understand."

Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald announces party's motion of no confidence in Helen McEntee.

Read more in the link: pic.twitter.com/sjWvRKxgSm

— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) December 1, 2023

The riots saw a number of foreign countries issue travel warnings, urging citizens to avoid protests in Dublin.

Main image: Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald speaking to media outside Ringsend Irishtown Community Centre in Dublin in July 2022. Picture by: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie