Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

In response to Deputy Wynne's question, a statutory instrument has been put in place that creates a planning exemption for the use of facilities for international protection or Ukrainian accommodation. There are two separate planning exemptions, and that has been applied in this situation. It allows a change of use to take place in the building in Shannon. Other elements of the building code, such as fire certification and building management controls, continue to apply. A building such as this cannot be used until appropriately certified. I do not have the financial details for the Deputy. They are coming, and as soon as I am in a position to do so, I will make them available to Deputies. That is why I was not able to give more information to Deputy Crowe earlier. I accept what he said about that limiting his ability and that of other Deputies to get the correct information out.

There is a challenge, in particular when these projects are undertaken across a number of Departments, in that there can be more red tape and barriers to a free flow of information than when things are done through my Department alone. I am appreciative when we do joint projects. I am appreciative of the support given by the OPW and the Department of Defence in bringing forward accommodation. It is indicative of the very real pressure we are under and the fact that people are being left without accommodation, as Deputy Smith spoke to earlier, that we have had to move in this very rapid fashion in a number of areas.

The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O'Brien, are bringing forward a community recognition fund to recognise those parts of the country that have taken on significant numbers of refugees. County Clare has taken in a number of Ukrainian and international protection applicants. I understand about €2.9 million of the fund will be allocated to Clare to support projects that will be a long-term recognition of the huge efforts the county has made to address and support the needs of people arriving there.

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