Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Well over 1,000 people seeking asylum have been accommodated since the Government's strategy was announced and published some weeks ago. The Deputy must also acknowledge the unprecedented increase in the number of people seeking asylum in this country in the last three to four years. We have moved from having about 3,500 people per annum seeking asylum in 2019 to a situation this year where there could be anything between 20,000 and 25,000 people who will come into the country seeking asylum. This is separate altogether from the thousands of Ukrainians who have fled war as a result of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.

See this speech in context