Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty has said the Government is "in denial" and needs to get in touch with what is happening following the rioting that broke out in Dublin this week, and reiterated the party's call for Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to resign.

Speaking on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics, Mr Doherty said separate to the events of Thursday night there have been violent incidents that previously happened in other parts of Dublin.

He insisted that there is unity of purpose across the political spectrum in terms of calling out who was behind the violence in Dublin city centre.

Mr Doherty said gardaí were left in a terrible and vulnerable position, and reiterated that Minister for Justice Helen McEntee should resign given what happened.

Helen McEntee faces calls to resign after the riots on Thursday

"There is a fundamental political issue that they have failed to keep our communities safe," he claimed.

Mr Doherty also said there is a need to have a proper conversation to address some of the "real concerns" people have in communities.

He said not all of the issues of concern "stem from immigration".

Three young children and a care worker were injured in a knife attack outside a school on Parnell Square East on Thursday.

This evening, the Taoiseach, Minister McEntee and Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe met with some of the people who intervened and helped to stop the appalling attack.

The meeting took place in Government buildings.

The Taoiseach thanked them for their courage and for literally placing themselves in the line of danger.

Speaking after the meeting, the Taoiseach said: "They showed extraordinary courage, responding quickly and bravely in order to protect young children and their care worker.

"We are all immensely grateful to them. On a day of violence and tragedy, they were the light amid the darkness.

"I wanted to say thank you to them personally on behalf of the Government and wider community."

A demonstration at the edge of the police cordon at the scene began from the early afternoon on Thursday and escalated as the evening went on.

Sinn Féin TD Louise O'Reilly said Thursday night was a catastrophic failure as she said it left people, gardaí, and those working in emergency services exposed.

She said the Minister's response was "slowly inadequate" and claimed she does not acknowledged the scale of the issue of safety. "The minister should resign," she said. "That is the bottom line."

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Simon Coveney said there has been a "dramatic increase" in visibility of gardaí on the streets of Dublin in recent days to make people feel safer and he said that needs to continue.

Simon Coveney said it took time for gardaí to get control of the situation on Thursday

Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme, he also said it is important to unite in response to the disgraceful scenes of thuggery and chaos in Dublin on Thursday night.

He said the rioting caused carnage and acknowledged it took time for gardaí to get control of the situation.

Mr Coveney said there will be a very detailed response to Thursday's violence within a garda report on what happened, adding that "lessons will be learned".

He accused Sinn Féin of turning Thursday's events into a political issue and of trying to undermine the Government and the leadership of An Garda Síochána, adding that he is confident there will be enough support for the Minister for Justice if Sinn Féin tables a motion of no confidence.

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore has said there was a "fundamental failure" to identify what was going to happen on Thursday night as she commended the gardai on the ground who showed bravery and professionalism during the atrocious scenes.

She said gardaí need support and correct equipment.

Ms Whitmore said they have been calling for increased measures in terms of policing and dealing with anti-social behaviour and the far right.

"The Government were not interested in what we had to say," she claimed as she referred to issues her party had tried to raise in recent months.

Minister of State and Fianna Fáil TD Jack Chambers said he has full confidence in the Minister for Justice and the Garda Commissioner.

"Both are responding fully to the concerning incident on our streets on Thursday," he said.

He called for unity of purpose to "call out the mobs" and "small minority who are trying to sow hate and division" and to show that they are not tolerated in society.

He also accused others of political game playing.

Mr Chambers condemned the mayhem and chaos by a "criminal mob" on Thursday and commended first responders to the riots and also the public who bravely responded to the attack at the school.