Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I note the headline this morning: "Government may reconsider placing asylum seekers in areas where there is 'tension' says Minister" - the Minister, Deputy Coveney. I put it to the Minister that that is bowing to the pressure of the far right, that it will be seen as bowing to the pressure of the far right and that it will encourage the far right to stir up tension and say, "See, not here." There are also reports this morning that the State may not provide accommodation for asylum seekers who come in the next few days. People may end up sleeping rough on the streets. Is the Government seriously saying that at a time when people of colour, including workers and students, are nervous or afraid to come into town or to walk through town for even 15 or 20 minutes that it will force people to sleep on the streets all night - by the way in areas where there are particular tensions?

Last Thursday, a building which recently had been used for asylum seeker accommodation in Parnell Street had all its front windows smashed. In Finglas, a building earmarked for refugee accommodation was set ablaze in a petrol bomb attack. The Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland said there is fear and confusion in many direct provision centres. If people living in buildings with locked doors and security staff are feeling fearful, what will it be like for an asylum seeker who is forced to sleep rough on the streets? Sub-zero temperatures might be the least of their problems.

All along the line the Government has underestimated the far right and now that the far right is sufficiently emboldened to pose a real risk to life and limb, the Government is about to make the same mistakes again. Does the Minister not remember what happened at Sandwith Street last May? There might as well have been targets painted on the backs of those people who were forced to sleep out in tents and then violently attacked, with their tents and belongings burned out.

The chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council said this morning that there are 6,000 people in IPAS accommodation who have status and are legally entitled to source alternative accommodation but they cannot because there is none. Those are 6,000 places that could avert this crisis but Fine Gael's housing crisis has knocked that possibility on the head. There is a lot of vacant property in this State owned by business interests who are speculating on the housing crisis. I support the State taking over that accommodation and using it to accommodate all of the 13,000 people in emergency accommodation and others including asylum seekers coming to this State. That is the emergency legislation that we need not the emergency legislation the Government is talking about. If it brings it forward, we will happily vote for it.

Can the Minister give this House a guarantee that no asylum seeker will be denied accommodation and that no asylum seeker will be forced to sleep rough on our streets in the weeks ahead?

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