Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to put on the record my thanks to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and, more latterly, the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, for their courtesy every step of the way when I have engaged with them in respect of this issue.

I am sure when the Green Party sought responsibility for this area, its objective was to eliminate direct provision and not to extend it. Yet, that was at a time before the war in Ukraine, as well as the wars, famine and persecution the world over. Now, we are being left with a situation where we are dealing with vast numbers of people who are coming to our countries and who are seeking asylum.

I have often said, and I firmly believe, that the lottery of birth determines so many of our outcomes. It determines our outcomes even in terms of being born into a functioning family or into one that is not affected by poverty. It clearly determines what country you are born in. For all the challenges we face here in our country, we are extremely fortunate. We are extremely fortunate to live in a prosperous, developed country with a functioning democracy. I must acknowledge that, for the most part, neither the Government nor the Opposition has used this crisis as an opportunity to exploit fear. There is a minority that is doing so, but, for the most part, the Government and the Opposition are not.

When we compare our lot with that of the people who are fleeing war, famine or perhaps persecution for their sexuality or their religious beliefs, we are very fortunate. Our President acknowledged and commemorated the Famine only last weekend. That was a time when one million people left our shores because of what they were facing. They went in their droves to Canada and the US. As a State, we grappled with so many challenges in the decades from the 1920s onward, when many of our people left these shores and went to the UK, South America and America for an opportunity to have a better chance in life. Leaving aside the State's legal obligations, we have many moral obligations and a moral duty to assist people who, for no other reason but the lottery of their birth, find themselves in the situations they are in.

Any fair-minded person would have to acknowledge that 73,000 Ukrainians have come into this country and that, up until the 14 May last, 20,450 people were seeking international protection,. That is a serious number of people who are coming in and who we have to respond to. I must compliment and thank the Irish citizens who, for the most part, have been extremely welcoming of people who have come to our shores. They have opened their houses. There are still situations where pledges have not been accepted and implemented. That should not be the case.

On Sunday, I was in Moate to run in a 5 km road race. I met Ukrainian people who came here in January. The young girl to whom I spoke came second in her category. The adults who were there were so thankful for the welcome they got in County Westmeath, which has been replicated in so many other places. The one thing they asked me when they found out I was a politician is where they can go to get work. They asked me to help them to get work because they want to contribute back to society and the country.

Twelve months on, we need to reassess our response and acknowledge that while it has been hugely challenging, we have made great strides and major progress. However, there are areas in which we have operated below par. We need to look at that now and see how we can bring those areas forward. One of those areas is communication. The absence of effective communication leaves a vacuum for misinformation. It leaves an opportunity for people who have an agenda to exploit legitimate fears and concerns. We have to be very careful to ensure that the people who have legitimate fears are engaged with, that they are adequately informed and reassured and that their concerns are addressed. If we do not, we run the risk of forcing those people into the extreme right to be exploited further. We need to improve our communication.

Another area of concern is that relating to the processing of international protection applications.

Only 5,000 of the 20,450 applicants here have been granted leave to remain status. The process needs to be more transparent, faster and more streamlined and we need to make better use of technology. Interviews can be held remotely over Zoom and Skype. Most of us are conducting much of our business that way now. We also need better use of technology in regard to translation for people coming from other countries. The facility for multiple appeals also needs to be looked at because applications must be brought to their natural conclusion in a timely fashion.

Another area I have raised before is the non-implementation of the Dublin Convention and the number of people who move through safe countries to come to Ireland. That is a duplication of a process. It makes the problem of processing applications even more difficult. It is an area on which we need to put more attention and more focus.

People arrive without passports. Nobody can embark a plane without a passport. I suggested both to the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Transport that they should engage with the airline industry. When a person presents to board a flight he or she must present a boarding pass and a passport. The passport can be scanned in order that people’s documentation will be on record and will help when they come to seek processing of international protection. As I said, to maintain confidence in the system, the system needs to be fair, transparent and all applications should be brought to their rightful conclusion.

I compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Jack Chambers, because the recognition of Ukrainian driving licences is important. It affords people who want to work and to contribute to our society, the opportunity to do so in a sector that badly needs workers. We know that many people seeking international protection are economic asylum seekers. We should look at reviewing the work permit process to afford the people who are coming here an opportunity to work, particularly in sectors of the economy where there is a need for people to work. I meet ambassadors who bring forward solutions whereby if work permits were given to people coming in, they would want to work and contribute, particularly in the construction sector.

In regard to the roll-out of modular builds and pods, I do not know what the Office of Public Works, OPW, has been doing for the past 12 months but I believe 750 modular units are not enough and the time it has taken to get these off the ground is simply embarrassing. Billy Kelleher visited Ukraine and showed how, in the space of a number of months, in a war-stricken country, they could produce a modular unit to accommodate 300 people. I do not know why we cannot do it faster. I not know why there was a planning exemption for modular units for temporary asylum seekers. The statutory instrument is not under the Minister’s remit but is under the planning and housing remit. However, there is no exemption for planning for modular units for international protection asylum seekers. What is the differentiating factor between them? It is in the case of the latter that we are severely challenged to find space. That is something that should be looked at. I believe some existing providers may be able to house more people seeking international protection if the planning exemption is extended.

The tourism and hospitality sector was the backbone in driving our recovery after the last recession. I am concerned about our over-dependence on that sector of the economy. It is not a sector that can be switched on and off like a light. That is why I believe we need to revisit the State buildings that are available. A recent report showed housing within the Department of Defence is being totally under-utilised. I have given an example in my own constituency of Columb Barracks in Mullingar. I have been through the buildings. With some modification they would be able to accommodate more people. Instead of utilising them and investing in these buildings which would be there in the long-term for the benefit of our community, we are putting modular units into Columb Barracks. We should use those buildings more effectively. Only a few months ago the OPW, which I mentioned moments ago in regard to modular homes, had an old Garda barracks on the open market to sell, along with two houses. At a time when the Minister has asked his colleagues across Departments to bring forward suitable buildings, we are selling buildings in certain instances. There are State buildings which with the right investment can be brought up to a standard. We need to do that more effectively than we are doing at the moment.

I have two final points. Will the Minister double-check that in cases where people have contracts to offer services to the State, those contracts are not being under-utilised? By that I mean to ensure that no hotelier or private occupier is getting paid for rooms that are not being used. I have a concern that there could be such instances. That needs to be addressed. Finally I take this opportunity to acknowledge the decision by the Government to introduce the community recognition fund. Some very good projects were funded through that fund. It will help to build better integration between our long-term members and new members of the community. That is something we should all strive to achieve.

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