Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this opportunity to speak on the services and accommodation for people seeking protection in Ireland. It is very positive that we, as a nation, can provide those supports to people fleeing violence, war, oppression and brutality, and that they can come here and most importantly be safe but also be valuable and contributing members of society, if we let them, which is an important thing that I will come back to.

One of the issues is that yes, we need massive integration supports. We need supports for communities and for the people who are coming here. They need supports in overcoming the trauma they have experienced, in finding jobs and in finding ways to contribute to the community. We know that is what they want to do. They want to find a place for education for their children and they want to be able to contribute. Certainly in my own area of Dublin South-Central, there has been a huge community groundswell to provide that support and to fill in those gaps. Groups like Drimnagh For All, Walkinstown For All and Ballyfermot For All have done Trojan work in welcoming and meeting people, trying to assure them of their safety and helping to meet their needs. Over the weekend gone, there was a really positive event with local families meeting new families who have just arrived, trying to facilitate and support them and to provide one-to-one care and supports, all of the things the Government should be doing. When it happens, it is extraordinary to see the new connections and new friendships and these new, productive community members that we have coming in to our communities. It is absolutely needed and it shows the strength of our communities.

The challenge is that many of these communities have been infiltrated by or are under siege from a small but violent mob that is deeply anti-democratic and reactionary. We have seen a massive increase in violence and threats.

We have seen a huge number of arson attacks with very little response and certainly no arrests. I do not believe the Garda is treating this in any way seriously. I have said that at the justice committee. In my questioning of Commissioner Drew Harris there, I stated my belief that gardaí are not taking the issue in any way seriously or treating the threat with as much care as they should. We see the leakage of this into other areas. As has been said, many people in this House have been directly threatened by the same people who make up this small, violent, anti-democratic group. If we are to provide a safe place for people, we need to take very seriously the threat posed by this group. When we welcome new people to our communities and forge new friendships as we go forward, it can be very beneficial for those communities and for Ireland.

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