Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I disagree with the Deputy slightly. I recognise that, regarding the hundreds of locations for accommodation opened in the country in the past 13 months, there have been instances where my Department and Government could have done better in terms of communication. However, the Deputy must also recognise that a huge amount of work has been done. My Department has provided notification briefings for 76 accommodation openings across the country. I, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and our political staff have done 35 phone meetings, 24 online briefings and 17 in-person meetings. The Minister and I have engaged with residents in Finglas, East Wall, Mullingar, Kinnegad, Castletown Geoghegan, Clondalkin, Castlebar, Artane, Roscrea, Leixlip, Skerries, Clane, Kill, Newbridge, Thurles, Cavan and Cork and numerous other locations around the country. We have engaged either online or in person to try to address and get to the bottom of those myths that, as the Deputy says, some groups seek to exploit.

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