John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like most conversations that now take place throughout the country, they begin with the phrase "I am not a racist" because people are trying to protect their own position and integrity against accusations of racism or online abuse. I do not condone racism; I am not a racist. I wish to ensure that local communities are helped and that we play our role within Europe. I have to put on record that the Government in its efforts, since the beginning which goes back two years, has failed miserably in convincing the public it has a handle on all of this. It caused consternation in local communities and in the planning services. It pitched neighbour against neighbour and it pitched a lot of people against the State. There was little explanation coming forward and that is still the case. I do not know how someone like me, who deals with people on a regular basis within their communities trying to support them and to support the Ukrainian families and others who are here, is expected to believe the Government is going to do all of what it says. This has continued for two years. The complaints and the issues were raised at parliamentary party meetings, and indeed within my own party, but nothing was done.

In the context of this debate, I wish to highlight that some communities are now engaged with An Bord Pleanála to find a solution to the problem. What assurances will be given to those communities that what they have been through will be acknowledged and that the offers or actions which are there now on record will be withdrawn? I refer to the Wallslough community in Kilkenny. It has housed and supported Ukrainian families; it has done its bit. It was then told it would have further international protection applicants housed in the community, bringing the total population to outnumber the local population. The community is still in the dark about all of that. What assurances will be given to those in Maudlin Street, Dublin Road, Kilkenny, who have been told of international protection applicants being housed? There were no plans; the council does not even know about it. In fact, the building being proposed was not accepted as a housing proposition by Kilkenny County Council. All of this needs to be clarified and it needs to be clarified now.

Furthermore, if one looks at all of the debate around this, it started in 1999. There is nothing new about this. This House was not kept informed. The public was not kept informed. That is why there is such anger out there that the Government would attempt, almost in secret, to allow the bureaucrats of Europe to bring forward proposals without the appropriate consultation. That is what raises the questions around sovereignty and issues to do with racism. The Irish people, know full well, as Deputy Boyd Barrett said, that they went away, worked and built New York, London and many other capital cities sending money home to benefit the family members who were left behind with very little. My family was one of those. We respected the fact that employment was got in all of those countries. It gave people at home a reasonable living. Compare that to a man who came here with his family 24 years ago. His family has now got naturalisation but he has not, because a police report, somewhere in the world, said he had questions to answer. He wrote to the Minister and the Commissioner to say he would give himself up to go to the country that raised the question and he would allow himself to be interrogated by the Garda in Ireland, but that did not happen. That was not accommodated.

The man now lives with a cloud over him and his family. Nothing is being done by the Department of Justice to resolve the issue. I could say the same about people who are living in Ireland who want to make a contribution to the State but cannot change their status. The application processes, under the EU treaty are a nightmare. I am saying this in the context of what the Minister for Justice is telling us about this pact and what it will do. The Minister needs to give more clarification about what is going on. She needs to inform the public and address issues like those of the man I spoke about

I have listened carefully because the latest part of this debate is how the EU will be funding €1 billion. For the past two years we have not heard that. In fact, we have not had a decent debate about this in the past two years, simply because it was not accommodated in this House. Yet, at committee level we were told in the discussion about the pact that 80% of individuals are coming across the Border, fleeing from the UK because of the Rwanda policy there. Yet, we did nothing about it. There was, and still is, an incompetence in the State in dealing with these matters. I agree with Deputy Boyd Barrett that there are queues everywhere, for everything. The failure within the State came across during the canvass for the European and local government elections. This is a failure to spend the money wisely and to deliver the services to the public. In all of the debate here, I have heard little praise for the communities that have reached out and helped Ukrainian families. I have heard little commentary about the expectation created by encouragement from the Department for business people to do up properties that are now left to carry a burden of debt. Many issues have emerged here and I am delighted we can have a debate without any rancour. However, I would expect, on behalf of the people I represent, that the Minister would clarify what is to happen in all of the outstanding applications to the Department for both Ukrainians and international protection applicants. That is the least people deserve. Common courtesy and decency go a long way. Please give full information and full transparency to the Irish people as we debate this matter.

See this speech in context