Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on this important issue. It goes without saying that all present condemn the atrocities that have led to this situation and the aggression by a country that professes to be an international model of some sort. The pattern of events that is taking place is the same as that which took place in a different time and a different country when the Sudetenland was gradually encroached upon by an aggressor who pursued by using threats that if interfered with, there would be a major war. Like some other speakers, I have to make the point that it may yet fall to the international community to take more severe action to ensure that is not allowed to continue and that threats and implied threats are completely unacceptable.

That said, we have to deal with the situation that is now in hand. There are many challenges for us as we have to deal with a significant number of people whom we did not anticipate. We did not anticipate their needs or what is happening in their home country. It would be absolutely untoward of us not to respond sympathetically. I am glad the Irish population has responded firmly and sympathetically. I strongly support the attitude taken by the Government, the Ministers who have spoken in this debate and their Departments. The challenges are manifold. There is a challenge for the health service. It must be provided for. We must deal with the issues at all levels at the same time because of the magnitude of the problem. There is a challenge in the context of the housing situation. That challenge might be a boon in disguise. It might be possible to utilise the system to such an extent that we can deal with the challenges even better than before. For instance, we can utilise system-built houses that can be built readily and assembled quickly on site and in just a few days. That can be done. There are plenty of people around the country willing to offer sites for such accommodation at short notice.

That possibility should be examined. Whatever emergency arises in the course of what needs to be done to accommodate refugees must be taken on board and precise remedies put into operation to deal with it. We must ensure vulnerable children with particular needs are looked after especially and specifically and that no effort is spared in dealing with the situation in a way that we would like to be done if we were in that situation.

There is nothing new about the modus operandiof the aggressor. That modus operandishould be what motivates us most of all in our response. We must let it be known that we in the civilised word are not going to be intimidated and cowed into a position of accepting what the powerful mete out to us. I have every confidence in the Government's ability to deal with the situation on those grounds, including in the provision of educational needs, accommodation needs, including special accommodation needs, and so on. Such provision can be made because the facilities are there. For some time now, for example, we have been exporting system-built houses to other countries. There is a strange irony in that, given we have an accommodation problem at home.

It is important that we deal with the situation even-handedly because it could bring about a reaction from people of all nationalities in this jurisdiction who have been on the housing list, perhaps for ten or 15 years. We must deal with the issue in an even-handed way, insofar as we can, and pull out all the stops to make it happen, and make it happen quickly. We are all proud of the way the Government has reacted. Even though there are compelling issues to be dealt with in this State, many of which are converging at the same time, the Government, rightly, has responded in a positive way, recognising the needs of those who are worse off than we are at this particular time.

I have spoken to a number of Ministers in recent times about a particular issue. The method of preparing accommodation should not be done in such a way that some people might escape from a particular requirement in order to facilitate, allegedly, the needs and exigencies of the time. The Government should investigate the existence of any prior arrangements, agreements or whatever or any clashes that may have taken place in the past. Refugees should not become the victims of any crossfire, for want of a better description, in this situation.

I hope we can respond in the way we always respond to a challenge. We work best together in this country when challenged and we will never be challenged in the way we are now going to be challenged. Let us all sit down together, put our shoulders to the wheel and try to make sure the people who are in need are dealt with in a meaningful and helpful way.

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