Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy makes an interesting point. As we move beyond what has had to be an emergency response to migration, we need to get a much more sustainable, managed approach, one that involves not just the focus on accommodation but also on rules. That means for people who do not have a right to be here, we ensure they leave more efficiently. For people who have a right to be here, it is about getting that right more quickly, allowing them to work, make a contribution, pay taxes and make their way in our country.

When it comes to accommodation, we need a full re-examination of the tools we use. We have a new Minister of State with responsibility for migration, Deputy Brophy, and a new Minister for Justice, Deputy O’Callaghan. The Taoiseach and I intend to sit down shortly with the both of them to discuss the approach we will take. Planning will be a part of that discussion.

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