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

As the Minister said, it is over a year since the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine. That is over a year in which the Government could and should have pulled together a more coherent, co-ordinated and joined-up response to this crisis. She spoke of a cross-governmental approach but there is no sense of leadership from the Taoiseach on this matter. Instead we heard him seeking to deflect blame, it appears, onto policing and the Garda when this issue is about cross-departmental supports for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in supplying housing. I have been pushing for the use of sites in my constituency, such as Jurys Hotel in Ballsbridge, Baggot St. Hospital and empty office buildings that could be scaled up to provide accommodation. The Minister spoke of the Department of Defence. What about the use of empty barracks or empty housing on Department of Defence sites? The Government said in January that there would be 700 modular homes in place for refugee accommodation by Easter, which we have not seen. Where is the sense of urgency and the massive level of State intervention, which was put to such good effect during Covid?

Where is that sense of co-ordination and of support? Where is that leadership, crucially, from the Taoiseach's Department?

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