Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Like the Taoiseach, I am sure Deputies across the House will join me in condemning in the strongest possible terms the illegal actions of Russia. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 26 February, we have witnessed scenes of appalling brutality, including the shelling of civilian areas and women and children huddled in bomb shelters while cities and towns have been levelled. This is a violent and destructive war that serves absolutely no credible purpose but carries with it an unbearable toll on the people of Ukraine.

The result of this has been one of the largest humanitarian crises Europe has seen since the end of the Second World War. There are millions of people fleeing their homes and seeking safety in Poland, Slovakia, other EU member states and Moldova. Today I will speak about Ireland's humanitarian effort in responding to the crisis in Ukraine, the work done so far, the plan we have set out and the challenges ahead. At this time we are facing a humanitarian crisis on a scale never before seen in Ireland. From 25 February until yesterday, 29 March, more than 15,000 people have fled from Ukraine to Ireland, and of these, more than 8,600 are now being accommodated by the State.

Since the outset of this war and within the whole-of-government response, my Department has been focused on providing reception accommodation to Ukrainian refugees in need. Our goal has been to provide shelter and safety. We have established a new Ukraine unit in my Department to handle the accommodation needs, with officials seconded from across the Department and other Departments to support this effort.

I acknowledge and pay tribute to many of the officials in my Department working tirelessly seven days every week to source accommodation, as well as those who have volunteered to staff airport and reception hubs, often working throughout the night.

In addition to quickly establishing a new unit within the Department, we have also been working to develop immediate, medium-term and long-term plans to accommodate those arriving. Those leading the Ukraine unit have been working with the Defence Forces on planning and developing a strategy to ensure efficiency and effectiveness as we move through this crisis. Currently, the vast majority of those being accommodated by the State are being accommodated in hotels. To date we have contracted almost 3,000 hotel rooms across the country. Given the ability of the State to contract hotels at scale and at pace, this has provided the bulk of the initial emergency response. However, there are limits on the ability of hotels to accommodate all those fleeing given the potential numbers. Measures need to be put in place to respond to this.

The Government has worked with the Irish Red Cross to put in place a national pledge as the mechanism for channelling the offers of accommodation which many members of the public wish to provide. The website through which offers of accommodation can be pledged is registerofpledges.redcross.ie. There has been a remarkable response by the public with more than 22,000 pledges received so far. The Irish Red Cross, the Defence Forces and estate agents and valuers are now working to evaluate those pledges and inspect the properties with a view to making them available quickly to refugees. They are focusing first on vacant properties which make up just under 5,000 of the 22,000 pledges. The Irish Red Cross and my Department will then begin to match refugees to properties and to support refugees to move on to their new homes.

The Government, An Garda Síochána, the Irish Red Cross and Tusla have been working together to develop a vetting process for donors of shared accommodation. This is where a room or rooms have been offered to Ukrainian refugees in people's homes. As children constitute a significant proportion of the Ukrainian refugees currently arriving in Ireland, child protection has to be a priority. For this reason anyone offering a room or rooms in a shared home will have to be vetted before Ukrainian refugees are matched them. Deputies will appreciate the importance of ensuring the safety of people who may be vulnerable and are traumatised by the terrible experiences which they have recently undergone. I would ask for patience as the Red Cross works through this process. In the six years since the original pledge system was put in place by the Irish Red Cross, there were 600 pledges of accommodation in total. There have now been 22,000 pledges in the last three weeks. This is an enormous ramping up of the level of generosity and the level of offers from the Irish people. It is going to take some time to work through them all.

I want to thank everybody who has pledged support. I would also like to thank the Red Cross volunteers and staff who worked to facilitate that unprecedented level of offers. The generosity of the Irish people and of the NGO community constitutes a beacon of hope for people who have lost so much. I know from talking to refugees and to the Ukrainian ambassador how much that generosity is deeply appreciated.

Since the outbreak of this crisis I have been clear that all options are on the table when it comes to accommodation of those fleeing Ukraine. We are in advanced discussions with Airbnb and The Open Community regarding temporary accommodation being provided around Ireland to those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. It is anticipated that these discussions will conclude in the coming days and further information will then be provided. The Department is continuing to engage with religious orders to identify properties which may be suitable for use as accommodation for those fleeing Ukraine.

Given that this is a crisis situation I have to be honest with the public and with those fleeing here. This is the greatest humanitarian crisis Ireland has ever faced. More than 15,000 people have fled here in just over a month with more than half of them now accommodated by the State. This response will get more challenging in the weeks and months ahead. The accommodation available through local authorities, religious organisations, State bodies and pledged accommodation is unlikely to meet the level of need should the higher estimated numbers of people arriving come to pass in the weeks ahead. Current modelling suggests that there is an inevitability to moving into an emergency accommodation phase when pledged and other service supply is exhausted. The only question is how quickly this phase is reached. As such, we have put in place a number of contingency options. These include the use of arenas and conference centres as well as the use of Gormanstown camp. It will not be own-door and it may mean camp beds in shared spaces. It is not our first preference, however I think it is right that we plan for these contingency options if they are needed and that we are always in a position to provide safety and shelter to those fleeing this war.

It would be remiss of me if I did not acknowledge the wider questions the Ukraine crisis asks of our migration and asylum systems. Last year we published a White Paper which set out how we would end direct provision and move to a new system based on human rights and integration from day one. I do not believe the compassion of the Irish public stops at Europe's borders. I know from the correspondence I have received, alongside years of activism across the country, that the Irish people want to see a kind and compassionate welcome to all those who come here in need, no matter where they come from. Undoubtedly the Ukrainian crisis puts extra pressure on my Department in terms of implementing the White Paper. At the end of February IPAS was accommodating just over 8,000 people. That number has since doubled and it will continue to grow. However, and I want to say this clearly, our commitment to ending direct provision will not waver.

To those who say we cannot or should not take people seeking refuge here, I think we can say now beyond all doubt that the Irish people have resoundingly shown that we are a nation of welcomes. We have shown that we want asylum, reception and integration processes that are compassionate and that afford equal dignity to everybody seeking protection.Although the challenges ahead are daunting, we will meet our obligations to the people fleeing here because when we see the destruction brought to Ukraine by the Russian invasion, when we see the devastation and death that have been caused, we know the offer of shelter and safety is the least of what we must do for those who are so badly in need.

Our response will need to be not just an all-of-government approach but an all-of-society approach. Those arriving will need a welcome and support from local community organisations, schools and sports clubs, residents' associations and employers. This is why the role of community fora, the community call as it was called during Covid, is going to be so important. There may be gaps in provision in the weeks ahead and I have no doubt there will be difficulties. We need patience and support from Deputies and particularly from the wider public as we develop what will be an extraordinarily complex and unprecedented operation. This is a humanitarian challenge which Ireland can and will meet. We are brave and kind enough as a country to do so. I ask for all Deputies to work with the Government as we work through this enormous challenge.

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