Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In the darkest days of our country's history, faced with famine, violence and the loss of our independence and freedom, we clung to a single hope. We endured, fought for, dreamed of and died for the promise of a better future, a better life for our children and for ourselves. In the same period, we fled in our millions to other parts of the world. Some were lucky and were able to breathe freely and create new lives for themselves. Others were discriminated against, despised, abused and rejected. As a country and a people, we know what it is like to be displaced and to displace others. We know what it is like to be vulnerable and to feel lost and adrift.

Today, many people are feeling afraid. Some are afraid of being displaced. They feel they are losing out and even that their identity is under threat. Others who are new to our shores are also afraid. They are mourning all they have lost and are fearful about what is still to come, that they are not welcome or, if they are, that the welcome might end.

Starting with us, the politicians, and spreading out to every community, I believe we all need to do better. We need to respond better to the multitude of fears, different concerns and competing ideas of what our country should and can be. It is easy to offer a céad míle fáilte when things are going well or visitors are paying their own way. It is much more difficult when it impacts on our lives in a direct and meaningful way. In our hearts we are a welcoming people but hearts can be hardened by the cold reality of the cost of those thousand welcomes. Resources will always be limited. Sometimes the resource is money, other times it is manpower and sometimes it is material or space. However, instead of pointing the finger or apportioning blame, we must provide solutions, honesty and reassurance.

As Taoiseach, I believe we should welcome and protect those who come to these shores legitimately. That is our way of honouring our national story and paying tribute to the many thousands of people here and abroad who never found a better life, the many who were silenced forever because of the oppression imposed on them by a few.

Migration is a good thing for our country but it must be properly managed and managed as best we can. The public expects this and is right to do so. We have a moral and legal responsibility to those fleeing war and persecution. That means we must be fair and open with everyone who needs our protection. It also means having legal pathways to facilitate economic migration because we need that too. It means being firm with those who come here with a false story or under false pretences. Criminal gangs should never decide who enters our country. That is for us to decide, not human traffickers. We need to ensure, therefore, that our system is efficient and fairly operated and that decisions are made quickly so that those entitled to international protection are granted an immigration status and can rebuild their lives here. The money and staff allocated in budget 2023, approximately €18 million, will help to make this a reality.

There has been a major increase in applications for international protection in the European Union. Last week, at the special meeting of the European Council in Brussels, we agreed to step up action to strengthen the European Union's external borders and prevent people-smuggling, especially loss of life, and also to step up returns to countries of origin when applications for protection are refused. Countries should be willing to take their citizens back as we do.

Across the country, communities have warmly welcomed people fleeing from war and persecution with a generous spirit. We are showing empathy and compassion as a people in standing up for what is right. In doing so, we know capacity is not unlimited but, with time, it can be expanded. We are demonstrating through our actions and history that our experiences have shaped us as a nation and moulded our values.

In the year since Russia's brutal invasion, Ukraine has seen immense suffering and destruction and a wide-scale displacement of its people.

Last week, I joined other EU Heads of Government to reaffirm our steadfast support for Ukraine for as long as it takes. As part of the EU's response, the temporary protection system was triggered for the first time on 4 March 2022. This has provided quick and effective assistance to those fleeing the war. Already, more than 73,000 people from Ukraine have arrived in Ireland as beneficiaries of temporary protection.

Our response as a State has been unprecedented in history. Faced with a massive humanitarian crisis, we have accommodated 57,000 people in almost 700 locations. We have enrolled almost 15,000 Ukrainian pupils in our schools and issued 55,000 medical cards. More than 13,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection have found employment here and are helping our economy to grow and prosper. We have done more than any other country in western Europe to accommodate Ukrainian refugees and we are proud to have done so. We will turn nobody away.

We are doing everything we can to co-ordinate our humanitarian efforts. Every month, I chair meetings of the Cabinet committee on the humanitarian response to Ukraine to oversee this work. Community forums established by local authorities are working effectively throughout the country managing the response at local level. We are also developing a more agile response to provide accommodation beyond the use of hotels and tourist accommodation. We are accelerating the refurbishment of buildings, continuing the unoccupied homes campaign and providing pledged accommodation and rapid-build homes on suitable sites.

This crisis began as a humanitarian emergency and it remains such but we are now developing a more long-term and sustainable response, recognising this war may go on for a very long time. We want services and assistance to be consistent and equitable, in line with our international obligations. As Taoiseach, I particularly want to pay tribute to all of those who have opened their communities and their own homes to people arriving from abroad. It has been a great national effort at a time when things are not easy for everyone, particularly with the cost of living rising. I think when we look back at this time our response will look better than it does today. Decency and humanity are prevailing over anger and fear, at least in the main.

Increasing numbers of people are applying for international protection from outside of Europe, with more than 15,000 since the start of 2022. We all know that the war in Ukraine and the significant numbers of people seeking international protection are making the pressure on accommodation even more intense. Today almost 78,000 people, men, women and children, are living in State-sourced accommodation. This is more than ten times the number two years ago. It is equivalent to the population of Galway city. Unfortunately, in recent weeks the Government has been unable to accommodate all newly arrived international protection applicants. Families with children are prioritised, as are vulnerable individuals, but some people have been left without shelter. We must find additional supply to rectify this. This work is ongoing, intense and cross-government and we will have meetings at ministerial level on it today.

The international crisis started suddenly and the speed of events has meant that we have not always been able to prepare the groundwork and talk to communities to allay the concerns they might have. We need to get this right. Some communities have genuine concerns about pressures on facilities and services and they should not be dismissed. We need to reassure them that we are going to invest in community infrastructure and facilities to recognise the contribution made by communities across the country. To this end, we now have a €50 million community recognition fund for facilities and services that will be used for the good of everyone in the community and a further €10 million is being made available for integration.

Unfortunately, in recent weeks we have seen very aggressive campaigns directed against newcomers that are designed to create divisions in our society. Unscrupulous individuals and groups are preying on legitimate concerns and weaponising them to inspire fear and hatred. Others see it as a political opportunity to promote their party or even their ideology. This should not be. We should all stand together against fear, hate and conspiracy theories. We should do so on a non-partisan and non-ideological basis, a nation standing together against racism. We have a long tradition of aiding other nations in times of trouble and this will continue no matter what. It will be hard and we will face many difficulties but as a country and as a people we will do what is right, just and fair. We will be true to our history because we share this world too.

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