Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Tánaiste's response and I commend the work that has been done. However, nobody believes that we will reach our commitment if it has taken 18 months for just 1,000 refugees out of 4,000 to arrive. I would welcome the possibility of taking in the additional 3,000 within the next few months but I do not believe it will be possible. However, let us make an effort and see if it can be done. Will the Tánaiste commit to making that possible, to ensure we maintain public confidence and maintain the welcome given not just in Ballaghaderreen but also in Dungarvan and other centres? We must put more resources in the Tánaiste's Department. The problems do not all lie with the Italian civil service. We must examine what resources we are deploying, including within the Department, given that we are so far behind in what we said we would do. The Tánaiste must deploy additional resources and part of those resources must tap into community resources to achieve a multiplier.

Finally, what comes next after the autumn? What comes next in our commitment? Where do we go from here? This is 4,000 out 5 million or 6 million refugees and 11 million displaced people in the country, so it is only a drop. What is our policy on what comes next after this original commitment?

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