Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Today, more than 1,000 people are seeking international protection here and are sleeping rough on the streets of our capital city, many of them in tents less than 1 km away from here in Mount Street. Leaving people on the streets in poor weather risks lives. Emergency measures were put in place when there was public outcry during the snow last week. However, on Monday, those vulnerable people were told to go out and fend for themselves again. That is shameful in Ireland in 2024, especially when we see so many vacant properties that could be used to give people shelter. Is it the case that a particular Government decision prevents certain properties that are vacant - for example, a refurbished vacant property that was scheduled to host people from Ukraine - being used to house international protection applicants? Some 1,100 such applicants are being forced to sleep on the streets because there is nowhere available for them. Will the Taoiseach indicate why properties such as those to which I refer cannot be repurposed?

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