Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I raise first the plight of those seeking international protection who have, shamefully, been left without accommodation. Several hundred persons now have no place to go, despite having arrived here seeking refuge. The Taoiseach will be aware that in my constituency, up to 40 tents are now camped in Mount Street outside the International Protection Accommodation Services, IPAS, office. I was there on Friday and the number has grown even since then. I have contacted the office of the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth about this and also Dublin City Council. Clearly, it is very distressing for those who are sleeping in tents on the street. It is also distressing for local residents, who are hugely compassionate and sympathetic to the plight of the individuals concerned. I am told by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman's, Department that it is making intensive efforts to secure accommodation for those who are left homeless in this way but is finding the situation very challenging. Can the Taoiseach say he and his Government are providing sufficient support to the Department with responsibility for integration? Clearly not, if we are seeing so many hundreds of people left without any State-provided accommodation. I am conscious a court decision has already established that the Government is in breach of its obligations in failing to provide any accommodation to asylum seekers in this way.

I raise also the issue of the GAA and the way in which matches are broadcast. There is huge anger about the way in which championship hurling and football games are broadcast. My party colleague Deputy Kelly has proposed a constructive way around this. I know the Taoiseach responded to a question about this earlier. Why do we not broadcast these matches on Saorview and enable people to opt in for an additional €5, for example, on their licence fee? That would enable people to watch matches on their television screens rather than having to stream them.

See this speech in context