Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will ask a question on this issue before the Minister responds and we move on to the next subhead. The community recognition fund is welcome. I have spoken to the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, regarding the issues and challenges in Ballaghaderreen. There is an opportunity for Government initiatives to be taken to support the local community in a real way. The community feels it has been neglected by the State as regards supports. The difficulty is that supports have been provided effectively on aper capitarather than a needs basis. I see the logic and reason for that. Over the years, Ballaghaderreen has opened its doors to programme refugees a number of times, yet it has never received any recognition for doing so. The funding is insufficient. There needs to be some level of co-ordination across government. It is not just about funding in the Department of Rural and Community Development. Ownership and responsibility need to be taken across government and a co-ordinated approach to supporting communities like Ballaghaderreen is required.

With that in mind, the whole objective here is to support the relationship that is being developed in communities with asylum seekers and refugees, either programme refugees or Ukrainian refugees, who have come into a community.

Businesses that have provided accommodation have been given no money whatsoever. I brought a case to the Minister's attention last November and December regarding a premises that took in Ukrainian refugees last summer. To date, the provider in question has not received one cent from the State. It will not renew the contract when it ends in April. I am hearing across the board that people have not been paid. We have the State pleading with people to open up their homes or premises and take in refugees, yet where people have done so the State has not paid them anything for between six and ten months. This is completely unacceptable and it must be resolved immediately. It should not arise when we have a housing crisis affecting our own people, asylum seekers and refugees. Where accommodation has been provided, the very minimum we would expect is that the State would pay its dues. I ask the Minister to intervene not just by raising it with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, as I and other colleagues have done, but by bringing it directly to Cabinet. This issue needs to be resolved immediately.