Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am not a member of the committee so I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute. There was a direct provision centre in Ballinamore, County Leitrim, for many years and I knew many of its residents. I often say that none of those residents so much as broke a window in the town in their time at the centre. They were very well integrated into the community. There were issues with the facility and it eventually closed a number of years ago.

This weekend a number of residents, the majority from Dublin, came to emergency accommodation in Carrick-on-Shannon. Some people in the community were somewhat aggrieved that there was no prior notice and they did not know in advance that these people were coming. I have learned quite a bit from listening to the interactions so far and it has been explained that, in most cases, the Department tries not to move families into emergency accommodation because it is short term. For that reason, it was all men who arrived into this particular centre and that will also apply in the future.

I would like clarity on some issues. I met some of the people in the centre in Carrick-on-Shannon the other day. I understand some of them are doing courses and are involved in education. Colleges and educational facilities will be closed over the summer but those who are in education will want to return to their courses later. How will that be achieved given that they are now in emergency accommodation 100 miles or more from where they had been receiving their education? The situation is similar for those who were in work, as some of them who have been here more than nine months are entitled to be. That can be difficult. Having said that, Carrick-on-Shannon is a tourist town and a welcoming place in general. If they were looking for suitable employment, it is possible they could find it the town. That issue about the distance from education and employment still exists.

I would like Ms Buckley to explain why there is a level of secrecy and communities are not told when people are moving into them because it creates unnecessary suspicions.