Prime Minister Varadkar, who is the son of an immigrant Indian doctor, said that the racial demographics of Irish institutions need to change because the positions are occupied by too many white people. This is despite Ireland having a 94.1 percent white population, according to data.
During the speech, Varadkar said that the guardie, the defense forces, the education sector, the civil service, and senior government positions are "very white" and that "needs to change."
The Prime Minister, who admitted more than 120,000 immigrants into the country last year, asserted that the government needs to create "a target for people who come from ethnic minority backgrounds" to fill the job positions.
On Thursday, Ireland descended into civil unrest after a suspect launched a bloodied knife attack on multiple women and children in Dublin. Unconfirmed reports alleged that the attacker was an Algerian immigrant, which had Irish nationals concerned about the safety impact of mass migration rioting in the streets.
The fiery demonstrations, which had begun peacefully, drew the ire of Ireland's police force, the Gardaí, as 400 officers were deployed to the scene to restore order. Commissioner Drew Harris referred to those wreaking havoc in the streets "hooligans" driven by "far-right ideology."
Speaking with reporters on Friday morning, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar slammed those who had taken part in the riots, and as ABC reports, he lamented that his nation had witnessed two attacks, one on innocent children and the other on "society and the rule of law."
"These criminals did not do what they did because they love Ireland, they did not do what they did because they wanted to protect Irish people, they did not do it out of any sense of patriotism, however warped," Varadkar said. "They did so because they're filled with hate, they love violence, they love chaos, and they love causing pain to others."
According to RTÉ, the stabbing attack that sparked the riot took place around 2 pm on Parnell Square East, right in the center of the Irish capital. The 40-year-old suspect, who also sustained injuries and is in hospital after being tackled to the ground by a food delivery driver, allegedly approached the group, attacking the woman, 30, before going after the three children, aged five and six.
The woman and one of the 5-year-old girls are in serious and critical condition.
The Gardaí have not revealed a potential motive, and his ethnicity has not been confirmed. While some sources have stated that he is from North Africa, others have told the BBC that he is an Irish citizen in his late 40s.
