Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said that unrest in Dublin on Thursday was instigated by a group of people who set out to "wreak havoc and sow division" in the wake of the stabbing near Parnell Square that saw three children and a woman in her 30s hospitalised.
Gardaí are following a "definite line of inquiry" into the stabbing, which left a five-year-old child and the woman, who intervened in the attack, in a serious condition, according to Minister McEntee.
"It is a devastating act to take place on such young, innocent children. Gardaí have a definite line of inquiry. They're not looking for anybody else in this. I think that's important for people to know," Minister McEntee told Miriam O'Callaghan on Prime Time.
Watch: Minister for Justice Helen McEntee speaks to Miriam O'Callaghan on Prime Time
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A man was detained at the scene by Gardaí before also being brought to hospital with injuries. Two other young children were also treated in hospital with more minor injuries.
The attack sparked a series of protests near the Parnell Street area of the city, which eventually escalated to clashes with Gardaí, buses being set alight, and some retail stores being looted.
Speaking about the unrest, Minister McEntee said "these people have come into our city centre with the sole objective of wreaking havoc this evening. They're thugs, they're criminals."
She said the unrest, which several in attendance said were about concerns about safety in the community, was "not about streets being safe."
"There have been many arrests. There will continue to be arrests tonight. These are criminals who have come into our city centre and who have used a horrific attack on innocent children this evening for their own gain," she added.
"These people should be arrested, and they will be put in prison. And that's exactly where they should be."
