Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In December I was contacted by a number of Shannon residents asking whether stories they had heard on the rumour mill about an accommodation facility in a factory were true. I asked a parliamentary question because I did not know anything about it. In early January I received a reply from the Minister stating it was commercially sensitive. There was not a scintilla of information after that. I am now getting a litany of information. It is not good enough.

That information vacuum has led many people to ask legitimate questions in the town, but it has also been exploited by the far right. An unsavoury character showed up in the town last week from Dublin. He is known nationally for his activities in the far right realm. It is unforgivable. I was on Drivetimeradio two weeks ago, again with no information to hand. Sarah McInerney and John Cooke confirmed to me in the course of the interview that this was happening. I am a colleague of the Minister in the Government. I have an elected mandate in Clare and I am unable to give people information. Stakeholder engagement is needed. The Minister needs to consult with people on the ground. He must speak with the six school principals who are already struggling with an enrolment crisis for September 2023 and have not heard a squeak from the Department. Communication is needed in order to make this a success. The people are welcome, but this can only be done successfully through engagement.

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