Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would like to echo what previous speakers have said. I listened to the last two contributions, in particular, and I find myself in agreement with them. It might well be because of an accident of geography as much as anything else, given that I represent a constituency which has borne a disproportionate burden. Every state has a burden to bear in accommodating recipients or beneficiaries of temporary protection, just as every area of a state has. However, that burden has not been spread equally across the State, not by any stretch. This is something I have been highlighting for two years now. I have asked the Government what the plan is, but there is no plan. The Government's plan is to stick them wherever it can. That is the plan. It is not fair to them or to communities in Clare. It is not all the fault of the Minister but he is a member of the Cabinet and there is collective responsibility.

I am aware that a game of ping-pong is being played between the Minister’s Department and that of the Minister, Deputy O’Brien - the Department of housing - with regard to who is ultimately going to house people when they come out of direct provision. That is a different conversation, which I look forward to having with the Minister during Topical Issues, when I hope I will finally get some information which I have been seeking for a long time.

This motion relates to beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine who have come to Ireland. Of course the State was stretched to find accommodation quickly. It did what it could. The Minister is to be commended on that, as are the people who provided accommodation. It seems to me, however, that not having something more systematic in place two years later is scandalous, as is the lack of checks of the accommodation being provided. Throwing money at a problem is understandable at the start but to be still throwing money at a problem without a plan, two years later, is not understandable or acceptable.

I am aware of a direct provision centre. I have to be careful not to conflate direct provision centres with centres which accommodate beneficiaries of temporary protection because they are two different things. The lack of oversight from the Minister’s Department in both areas is similar. According to my understanding, inspections are being carried out with a view to determining that they meet building regulations and safety regulations, etc. That is to be commended. These inspections are important but so too are inspections which determine how many people are staying in a facility that the State is paying a great deal of money for.

Deputy Tóibín just highlighted the amounts which are being offered in respect of one particular hotel. I was not aware that they are that high. I fear for the Minister that other hotels which are offering accommodation for less will now say that if the Minister is prepared to pay that amount in Drogheda, he can pay that amount in Lisdoonvarna, Killarney, Glenties or wherever.

I have been asking the following question: what supervision is there of occupancy levels? It is separate from what I want to find out from the Minister during Topical Issues. It is clear from the information I have received on foot of asking that question that up to now there has been next to no supervision. Yes, facilities are inspected but they are inspected before people arrive, by and large. If they have not been inspected before they arrive, they are inspected after people arrive. That inspection, by its nature, must be to ensure the accommodation is safe and complies with building regulations, rather than being an inspection of occupancy levels. The occupancy levels are provided to the Department by the providers. Many of these providers are reputable businessmen and upstanding citizens - I do not wish to suggest otherwise - but as with all groups, there are rogue providers. Of course they are going to say that they have a full house, that everyone is happy and that they are happy for the cheque to be sent out. I want to know what is being done to root out any rogue providers. I am aware of a hotel where 20 rooms have been paid for every night since this crisis began, but there are never more than 11 rooms occupied. At some times of the year, that hotel is in a position to resell on the open market a room the State has already paid for. That is unacceptable. The lack of a mechanism to carry out inspections and to catch people who do that is unacceptable when it comes to the expenditure of Exchequer funding.

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