Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What is the Taoiseach's response to the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service study finding that the operational costs for commercially owned refugee centres are nearly twice as high as those provided by the State, and to the review's finding that congregated settings for refugees will continue for many years to come? The paper on international protection support services estimates a 10% to 15% increase in the number of arrivals over the next 18 months. The European directive for Ukrainian refugees may be in place for another two years. We have a broken direct provision service but what is also now rapidly emerging is an almost two-tier immigration system. In fairness, past and present governments failed to meet that deepening crisis on both fronts. We urgently need to see an operational plan to invest, operationalise and build sustainable accommodation pathways, workforce planning for local health services and schools, and a multi-annual systemic community support scheme. We need that urgently. This cannot wait. The need is growing by the minute in our communities, yet the capacity to take on additional services simply is not there.

See this speech in context