Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would be somewhat sceptical in saying “consultation”, but I understand the intention. What it is missing is empowerment of communities that are not able to be involved in who comes into their community. I do not think any of us have that right to vet who has safety and shelter over them. However, empowering communities to be part of the humanitarian response and, for example, to help those men we saw on the telly this week take their beds off the back of the trucks and into the halls is what we need to be encouraging and empowering in this country. That is where community comes in – being part of that community humanitarian response, not a gatekeeper response that we say who comes here and when they come here. That is where the balance is not being struck. How can we do that powerful engagement with communities? There are so many people who want to be involved in that. Unfortunately, what is happening is the framing that somehow people are a threat to those who have very little.

Unfortunately, when people have very little, they will look to exercise power over those who have even less. That will then be exploited by those who have different agendas. I speak as someone who is quite concerned in coming from communities that have very little and watching how they are being played somewhat on the question of people coming into their community not being vetted. We do not ask if our neighbour has been vetted when they get their local authority house.

I refer to the role and responsibility of governments to ensure it is factual information, such as leaflet drops, not only about how many are coming in but also about what is going on in terms of power, poverty and people not being an economic threat to each other. Unfortunately, we are not having the space to be able to think well with communities and how they invite people in. Beyond this idea of leafletting houses or having facts and figures for people, what is the role and responsibility of the Department in empowering the community to be part of the positive humanitarian response rather than a reactive “people do not belong here” type of response? How is it doing that?