Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My colleagues in the Rural Independent Group and I have been asking for a reasonable, calm and sincere debate about inward migration here, the issues around it and the strife it is causing in communities. I met some people from Lismore, which is a lovely heritage town in County Waterford, outside this House today. They are self-employed and retired people. They are good people. They already have 35 and they have no problem with them. They do not mind 120 more coming if they go into the old hospital that has closed down or some other buildings, but not the hotel. They were up here with Fáilte Ireland at the weekend to promote the town for tourism. Now it is being proposed to take over a hotel in the town that has been renovated for tourism. There is a lack of information for people. It is the same in Cahir. The old Bank of Ireland, which was recently closed, and the adjoining buildings are meant to be a housing centre. There are rumours. We want to have a debate in the Chamber. The whole country is talking about it. We seem to be an echo chamber here where we cannot discuss it. We need a reasonable debate here. We need a better flow of information to ourselves and the public from the Ministers in charge of this.

See this speech in context