Dáil debates

Thursday, 29 May 2025

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

 

6:25 am

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue with me again in the Dáil. As he rightly said, I met a number of local residents, including Ms O'Dwyer and Ms Crowe, and they were very decent people. It is not fair to say I did not come back to them. I listened to them, engaged with them and passed on their views to the relevant Ministers. The description of Ukrainian people being put on buses and not knowing where they are going is not my experience of how these issues are handled. We need to look at the number of Ukrainians in Ireland, State contracts, value for money and the fact people have been here quite a while. People want to get on with their lives and a lot of work is done to try to do that correctly.

On the decisions the Department of Justice and Government take around the location of IPAS centres, it is well known it is Government policy to get to a number of State-led, State-owned facilities, including the one in Citywest that we have, and to move away over time from having to use smaller facilities in communities, particularly ones that were used for the likes of hotels in the past. I will ask the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and-or the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, to come back to the Deputy directly with an update on Dundrum, conscious of what the Deputy is saying is happening in the community tonight.

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