Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I concur with what my colleague, Deputy Connolly, has just said, that as a neutral country we should be calling for peace at every step of the way and providing humanitarian support.

I wish to make a couple of points in the three minutes available to me. For years, the Opposition has called for changes to the asylum process in this country, including when the Green Party was in opposition. The direct provision system is a national disgrace and a national embarrassment. It was set up to discourage people seeking international protection in Ireland by creating a service that was completely unfit for purpose. It was set up by the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, now Senator McDowell, when he was a member of the Progressive Democrats.

Now we see people fleeing war, persecution and disaster. Some people find themselves in unsuitable and unsafe accommodation or they are left to sleep on the streets and are totally exposed to the hate being whipped up by the far right. The problems we currently have in the asylum-seeking process are a result of the intentional creation of a system that was never supposed to work in the first place. People are not stupid. They can see this system is not working, and they are rightly worried that the Government will again put the cost of its own failures on their communities. Communities all over the country have been welcoming refugees, but they are worried after having been battered for years and years by cuts, austerity and neglect. The problem is there has been little or no consultation and not enough information for communities. This has created a vacuum that has been quickly filled by misinformation pushed by a small minority that wants to spread lies and hate. People need proper reassurance that they will receive real funding and supports to prevent further stresses on their already neglected and underfunded communities. People must be told when those supports will be put in place and what they will be. They need to know their lives will not get worse.

I referred to consultation. The Minister partly clarified what happened in Walkinstown recently. We contacted the Minister after hearing rumours that refugees were being moved into a centre. The Department was not aware of it. We went further and found out who the developer was and we got clarification that he was dealing directly with IPAS to house refugees. The Department only found out after he had contacted IPAS. In the intervening 24 to 36 hours people on the right were able to jump into the vacuum and create a situation by saying men of an age to fight would be moved into the centre and that would create a lot of problems. The Government must get on top of this. We must know where Ukrainians and other refugees are going so we can work with communities to welcome them.

The lies of the far right give direct cover to the Government. The far right is saying there is no housing crisis, no health crisis, no cost-of-living crisis, no need to tax the rich or blame the Government's failed policies - it just blames migrants and refugees. The Government wants to distract us from its own failings and the far right wants to distract us from the real problems in this country and blame the disadvantaged and the marginalised.

I will be at the Ireland for All solidarity march this Saturday to push for housing for all, healthcare for all and services for all, with trade unions, communities, the Travelling community and individuals.

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