Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for this update on the stability programme. It is so important we get this opportunity to hear his views and opinions and to ask the questions that are arising. We are very thankful to him for the time in his busy schedule.

Of all the times in our history, none of us in our worst nightmares, nor he on becoming a Minister, would have imagined he would be a Minister at a time when there is a war of the kind taking place in Ukraine at the moment and the difficulties and challenges that is presenting to all of Europe. I am of course grateful for the hand of friendship that is being given and the safe homes that are being made available to the people who have to come here and to other parts of Europe as well. My one concern about that is there being no cap. It is not that I would not welcome any number but that I worry we might find ourselves in a situation where we will be bringing in so many that we will not be able to take care of their housing, educational or health needs. When I speak of concerns around the figures, those are the concerns I have. Obviously, we want to try to do everything we possibly can in this humanitarian crisis. However, as I said, I do not want a situation where people will find themselves in places that are not suitable. We want to do right by the people we are bringing here. I hope I am explaining myself properly.

When it comes to the sanctions, it is not so much about the implications of the sanctions we in Europe are placing on Russian but the sanctions that could ultimately be placed on us. I mean the effect on fuel and energy costs. We are so reliant on other sources for our energy and have such a low energy supply ourselves. I am thinking of the effect that will have on families, small businesses and our day-to-day living. Enormous challenges are being faced due to the massive inflation increases. The basic amount it takes to live now makes it extremely difficult for people on low and medium incomes. When I am talking about that I must mention what was already said about workers and the availability of them.

There is an awful problem in Ireland. It could be in the hospitality sector, where there is a shortage of chefs, or the construction sector. We must come up with a more streamlined and efficient way of operating. If people want to come to Ireland to work, our attitude should be that we will organise that and make it user-friendly and efficient in order that employers will be able to know that if they need a chef, it will be no problem for them to advertise abroad and get one if they cannot get one here. We must ensure that this system is streamlined and made efficient in order that people will be able to use it and not have to endure indefinite delays. When you need workers, you need workers - you need them today, not yesterday.

Small businesses will be really affected in so many different ways because the war is having a distorting effect on our economy. I do not want to talk about the commerce side versus the humanitarian side. The humanitarian side of our help is paramount, but hotels, perhaps those in rural locations, are being taken over when small businesses were relying on those hotels to bring in tourists who would keep their businesses going. They are now worried their businesses will not keep going because tourists will not have a place to stay in these localities. I even feel bad about comparing one with the other because, again, the most important thing is taking care of people's needs. These people are leaving a country with nothing more than what is contained in a bag they are carrying with them. That is the most important thing of all. However, we must also remember that everyone has responsibility and we must try to balance what we are doing for the greater good of all. There is concern over issues like that. I know it is not for the Minister to say that this must be capped or limited at such an amount but I hope that we will ensure that we are able to take care of all of the needs of the people we bring in properly.

The Minister's job is extremely difficult at this time. When it comes to the trials and tribulations he has, it is a case of us all being on the same team. We are all interested in the betterment of Ireland Inc. and of neighbouring counties such as Ukraine, but we must balance everything and ensure that we are doing our best by all the people and are trying to make it manageable for families on low incomes to survive during these very difficult times.

My final point concerns housing and the implications of what is happening at present. A very intelligent and experienced person in the construction side of life made a statement to me last night. When he said it to me, I promised myself that I would say it to the Minister the next day. It is not that I think the Minister does not know it; I just want him to hear it again. This person would have 40 to 50 years' worth of building experience in Ireland and is a very respectable individual who would have provided thousands of homes throughout Ireland. He told me that when we are at a stage when a garda or a nurse cannot afford to buy a home in any part of Ireland - and he said he was not talking about buying in Dublin - we have lost the plot completely. He said we are completely wrong and asked what we are going to do about it. It hit home very hard to me when a person with that experience made that statement. It is very worrying. I am not saying this in a way that is critical of the Minister or the Government. When I say this, I am not trying to say it is this Government's fault. However, the situation in which we find ourselves is such that a local garda or nurse cannot afford to buy his or her own home, which is extremely worrying and upsetting. Where does this leave everyone else on all the different steps of the ladder of working life throughout Ireland?