Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Even before the large increase in protection applicants and the activation of the Ukrainian temporary protection directive, the Government's implementation of the White Paper looked questionable with a focus, yet again, on rented accommodation and turnkey acquisition. Approved housing body, AHB, housing, which would have meant own-door and stable accommodation to aid integration and supports, was not prioritised and was eventually shelved.

We have seen successful integration models around the country, none more so than in Caherciveen in my county, where the level of integration, due no doubt to the hard work of local community activists, has been inspirational.

There may now be a decrease in protection applicants arriving but the decision to end the provision of accommodation to applicants led directly to a dangerous incident on the streets of Dublin. We cannot separate the risks to international protection applicants from the risks to the public and the risks to members of An Garda Síochána. There were a number of developments last week in regard to the protests outside the accommodation centres and we can separate these out. Gardaí cannot be expected to pick up the pieces of a society which is broken by Government inaction.

We have also heard many of the claims that we have not looked after our own but the reason for the increase is because of the 11,000 or 12,000 people who are homeless now. I knew people who were more than ten years in emergency accommodation, people who were in and out of the courts system and who were not able to get their lives back together. There has not been enough action on that and it is no wonder the response has been so poor.

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