Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Taoiseach on his work as Taoiseach. I wish him well for the future and thank him for his friendship and his availability at all times.

The Government policy on international protection applicants is not working. We have had two fiascoes recently - the situation in Dublin with tents on the streets being removed in the middle of the night to a place where people do not want to go; and, second, putting more than 500 people into a hotel in Drogheda where there is now no hotel left. These unfortunate people have nowhere to go because there are no recreational amenities attached to this hotel. The function room is gone and they cannot go there. All they can do is walk across the town day in day out. It is not good enough and needs to change. We need support in Drogheda for the business community and for the tourism interests. We also need to meet the needs of international protection applicants in an appropriate and proper manner. Ordinary, good and decent people who support human rights, and support all of those right and proper things, do not accept the fiasco the Minister is imposing on us.

See this speech in context