Dáil debates

Thursday, 5 May 2022

Accommodation Needs of Those Fleeing Ukraine: Statements

 

4:05 pm

Photo of Richard O'DonoghueRichard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

What has this shown to the world once again? It has shown that the Irish people are the most welcoming in the world. I refer to the fantastic hospitality they show to people who are in need. That is what the Irish people are. However, it also has shown up the failure of previous Governments in terms of infrastructure across the country. People coming from Ukraine cannot be put into rural areas because of the lack of infrastructure there. The people in rural areas want to welcome Ukrainians into their areas but there is no bus transport for them if they get there.

As a short-term measure as we are coming into summer and in light of the number of Ukrainians who are coming into the country, would it not be possible for mobile chalets to be put into areas where there is infrastructure? There are places available where that could be done. Families could go to there and get their bearings before being moved to a long-term location. At least, they would be with their own people and able to speak their own language. They would be able to go to their own healthcare professionals. Some Ukrainians who are coming here are doctors or nurses but their qualifications are not recognised. There is a big problem when a person from Ukraine wants to go to a hospital because he or she is feeling sick. There is a big language barrier and a transport barrier. Why not have a place with a hospital where Ukrainian doctors and nurses, leaving aside that their qualifications are not recognised by the Government, can look after and help their own people? Why has a simple thing such as that not been done? Mobile chalets or mobile homes can be put into an area where there is infrastructure overnight. These mobile homes are fully kitted out and they can provide for families, especially coming into summer. Many people go to holiday homes and mobile homes in summer. These mobile chalets are perfectly suited to areas where the Government cannot otherwise house Ukrainians who need accommodation.

The Red Cross is overwhelmed with the work it has to do. All the volunteers are overwhelmed. There is complete chaos. I am aware of a family that offered its holiday home for use by Ukrainians. It contacted the Red Cross and got a phone call last Thursday week to say the Red Cross wanted to go and see the house. The family agreed to meet the Red Cross there. Little did the family realise that the Red Cross volunteers were on a minibus with eight Ukrainian people with their suitcases. They were coming out to look at the house to see was it viable for them. They took the suitcases off the bus and moved in straight away. A person with the Ukrainians had a letter but could not explain to the householder what had to be done, and that person was there to help. It is total chaos.

The following day, I met a person whose job is to track where Ukrainian people are in order to put a map together so that where they are is known. That person asked me if I knew where Ukrainians had been placed and asked me to notify them because some of the Ukrainians have slipped through. They were put into houses but now it is not known where they are.

To me, a simple thing that could be done is to put Ukrainians in need of accommodation into mobile homes or mobile chalets. They would be together and feel safe and they would be in areas that have infrastructure. They could then be placed into longer-term residential settings. We would know where they are and that we can help them.

We had to get an interpreter down to the Ukrainians who moved into the holiday home to let them know where the bus service was and everything else. Doing so was actually put onto the people who own the house. The volunteers had to rush back into Limerick to collect to another person to take them somewhere else and they did not know where they were going. This is what is wrong.

We are the best country. The people of Ireland are brilliant. They would give up their own dinner to help somebody in need. That is what we are like. It is complete chaos at the moment, however, because the Government will not do the simple things that people are suggesting to it. I hate to say it but this has shown the complete failure of previous Governments in the context of the lack of infrastructure in the towns and villages in rural Ireland. That has been demonstrated by the fact that the State is now unable to put people into areas and then keep a count of them.

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