Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Ar an gcéad dul síos, I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, for his engagement with me any time I contact him. I welcome the community fund, which some communities in my county were successful in getting. I thank the communities for their engagement.

The truth is, however, that the lack of effective Government action is the root cause of Ireland's housing crisis and, indeed, this crisis for asylum seekers. The crisis has left refugees in desperate situations. It has left approximately 12,000 Irish people homeless and approximately 250,000 Irish individuals, including men, women and children, in precarious housing situations all over the country. Many struggle to pay for rent and heating and they have many other kinds of issues. It is a huge crisis. There is no-one to blame for this catastrophic mess but the Government. It is high time that Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party offered a sincere apology for allowing this situation to unfold.

Even as we speak, evictions are carrying on, as they have been all the time even through Covid-19, for various reasons. Mortgage holders are struggling to repay their loans as repossessions loom. The number of asylum seekers is rapidly rising and as I said, the country faces a shortage of at least 250,000 homes.

It is important to note that anyone who dares to question the lack of direction or express legitimate concerns is conveniently labelled as right wing, which undermines the seriousness of the crisis. This crisis is of the utmost importance. It not only affects those leaving their homes and seeking refuge but impacts the social cohesion of our own people in our own society with integration. The Government's failure to communicate, the lack of a viable immigration and housing strategy and a complete lack of transparency are the common denominators in this situation.

Let us begin by examining the Government's decision to welcome tens of thousands of vulnerable people to this country and promise them a better life despite knowing our country lacks the capacity to provide the basic accommodation for these individuals and families. The Government is letting these people down and it has not done anything to help them or address their legitimate concerns.

I condemn any far-right actions, or so-called far right - it is easy to label everything else. There is no room for violence at protests or anywhere else. We must genuinely look after these people.

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