Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Lahart for affording me a couple of minutes to contribute to these statements relating to the accommodation needs of new arrivals.

Notwithstanding the majority of, if not all, Members of this Dáil agreeing that we have international obligations together with international credibility as a nation, which has suffered through its own history in the context of migration and which understands the needs of those who are fleeing conflict and oppression in the form of the Ukrainian war and those who seek international protection from other nations, thankfully, nobody I have heard over the course of the past number of months and years disagrees with that obligation. Others may find a way in which to disguise that fact, but that is their business and for them to answer to, if people seek to question it, at the doors when they go before the electorate when the occasion to do so presents itself.

The point I would like to make relates to the planning procedures and the authority the State has on foot of a decision of this Dáil to allow for normal planning procedures not to be adhered to in the accommodation of those in need of emergency accommodation. That does not afford the opportunity to anybody in the State, whether it be local authority or a Department, to override the views, opinions and concerns of people who live in a locality or to fail to provide the information they require. These people have access to services. They want to share them and ensure there is adequate provision for them to be shared. Many within Government have acknowledged the poor communication, but few have addressed it. That needs to be deal with by means of concrete measures taken by those with responsibility in this regard.

As we speak, I am sure many local authorities are investigating the possibilities presented by certain locations, provisions, sites or whatever. It should be incumbent on those authorities to regularly publish information on the areas, facilities and options that are being considered in order that people are adequately informed and can make a contribution to ensure that the relevant services can be provided in a manner commensurate to everybody's needs.

Proposals from the Government are imminent on foot of pre-legislative scrutiny that has taken place and the publication of a report by the relevant committee that there will be amendments to the Planning and Development Act to meet the need that exists in respect of our housing crisis. I hope that similar efforts can be made to speed up a process that is strangling a great deal of development. In turn, the latter is strangling the potential and the possibilities that should and could exist in the context of meeting the accommodation of the needs of those arriving into the country in various circumstances.

I just wanted to make that point and to impress upon the Government the need to bring forward concrete measures that will demonstrate to Members that there is a new communications system or procedure in place that acknowledges the failings of the past and that will accommodate the needs of the future.

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