Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to get the opportunity to speak on this debate. I listened to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, earlier on. He spoke about the accommodation providers facing threats. We have all seen the protests and everything that has gone on to date. Most of it, if not all, is absolutely unacceptable, particularly the protests we have seen in Dublin. However, we must also look at the other side of that, namely, the communities that have welcomed refugees and what they have seen from Government in support of that. I refer to the communities that opened their arms to refugees who came in and how Government has supported or, in most cases, not supported those communities. That is the other side of it. For them, this is even more frustrating. I have used the example of the town of Ballaghaderreen many times. Sadly, it is the most economically and socially deprived town in County Roscommon. There is a lot of poverty and deprivation in the town, which is a small rural town of a population of around 1,800. They have seen an increase substantially, from 2017 onwards, to about 400 refugees and international protection families and individuals and they have got zero support from Government. I cannot for the life of me understand how there cannot be a cross-departmental approach for the small number of overall towns that have taken in refugees, including from the Department of Education. In the case of Ballaghaderreen, the school is bursting at the seams, with more than 200 pupils, and it cannot take in any more. Some of the classes in the school are being held in corridors. The funding has been granted for new school, but they are in limbo because they are waiting for the Department to come back to them on what design to choose. Let us look at that and move it forward. Let us look at health in the town and get the HSE look at the fact that the GPs are running waiting lists. What can be done there? That is not happening.

There are towns like Ballaghaderreen that are giving goodwill for nothing in return. That, to me, is the most disappointing part of all. At the end of the day, the frustration and tension that is there now in towns such as Ballaghaderreen, where is a massive stretch on services and resources, is totally avoidable. It is totally and completely avoidable if the Government works cross-departmentally to physically put in resources and services in towns like Ballaghaderreen that are taking in additional populations and getting no supports at all. That, to me, is the most disappointing part of all of this. Huge pressure is being put on rural communities in particular. The Government is not living up to and giving the same commitment these communities are giving in providing those resources and those services that are so desperately needed. When that is not happening, a vacuum is created. People are getting annoyed and frustrated, and then we find ourselves where we are now. That is a huge part of it. I think this is very much being left to one Department. We are not seeing a cross-departmental approach from Government. That is letting down a lot of rural communities.

Deputy Kenny was to share time with me. I presume there is no extra time?

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