Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That is a nice high-level overview of the situation but does not relate significantly to the reality on the ground. There are big problems. For example, in Ballybofey, the asylum seekers being housed there have no GP services available to them because they have no PPS numbers. There were moved up to Donegal without these numbers having been applied for, which means that they are using hospital and ambulance services because are no doctors available. That is a shocking situation for them to be in. This is also happening with Ukrainian refugees in Buncrana and Carndonagh where they are using ambulance services because they have no doctors available. Very quickly, word goes out to the community that the refugees and asylum seekers are getting better access to these services, but that is because they have no access and have to use the services this way.

We then have a situation also where schoolchildren will be receiving school transport and these services are not meeting the needs. We also had a case in Killybegs recently where somebody had to support and pay for the school transport to enable the Ukrainian children to attend school.

There may be high-level agreements which are working well at that level but it does not seem to be translating down to the ground and that needs to be addressed.

See this speech in context