Maura Hopkins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the matter of plans to open an emergency reception and orientation centre in the Abbeyfield Hotel in Ballaghaderreen. As the Minister of State will be aware, I have had many discussions with both him and Department officials since first becoming aware of plans to open the centre on Thursday, 5 January.

As a community, we, in Ballaghaderreen, understand fully that these refugees who are coming to the centre in Ballaghaderreen have been through the most horrific experiences. We want to reach out and support them in the best way we can. There has been a huge amount of media attention about the reaction of local people in Ballaghaderreen. I want to make it very clear that Ballaghaderreen people will play their part. We will do our fair share in terms of supporting people who have been through very difficult experiences. We had a very lengthy meeting as part of the Ballaghaderreen town team yesterday with Department officials in Roscommon. Arising from that meeting, I have a number of questions.

We want to be reassured that the proper resources and services will be in place to support these people when they come in March. My understanding is that there will be 82 people coming through Greece from Syria. They will have been vetted by Department of Justice and Equality officials. Initially, they will be coming to stay in Balseskin near Dublin Airport, where they will have a full medical assessment and they will begin to have a full needs assessment on their educational needs. They will then come to Ballaghaderreen where they will stay for a maximum period of six months.

It is really important that proper communications channels are opened. At the moment, there is a national task force that brings together all the different agencies. I urge the Minister that the communication channels locally be opened in terms of engagement with local general practitioners, local schools, the Roscommon County Childcare Committee, the education and training board and all the different and necessary agencies and services that will need to be involved in order to support these people. Without doubt, there has been a difficulty here and I ask that there is immediate communication and engagement with local service providers who want to provide support in the best way they can.

When we talk about the centre being opened in the Abbeyfield Hotel, as a community we had high hopes that the hotel would reopen as a functioning hotel. That has not happened. A two year lease has been signed. The facility is vacant and why not support people who need our help at this time? That is very much our view. However, we need to ensure we properly support the community in doing that. My understanding from the meeting yesterday is that the Red Cross will be very involved with assisting the community and co-ordinating that community support because there has been a huge and overwhelming response from people who want to help and to be volunteers. That needs to structured and assistance needs to be provided in terms of that integration piece. From speaking with Department officials yesterday, I know the Red Cross will be very much involved in that process. As early as possible, we want to ensure these people feel welcome and part of our community for however long they may stay.

I want to be reassured by the Minister of State that evidence will be provided to the local community that the proper resources in terms of teaching, interpreters, GP services and all the other allied health professional services required to support these people will be provided from additional resources, not from existing resources. At the moment, services within our area are already at breaking point.We need these assurances and to see evidence locally of communication channels being opened and plans being put in place to support the people who will be coming in the next couple of weeks. I understand from the discussions that took place yesterday that 82 people will be coming in March and that there is capacity at the facility for up to 200. Following my visit to the Monasterevin centre, I am seeking assurances from the Minister of State that if there are teething problems or difficulties in service provision, they will be properly addressed before additional people are brought to the centre. The plan is to place 82 people in the centre initially, with a further 80 to be placed there next month and more to come until full capacity of 200 is reached. It is important that initial challenges such as occurred in Monasterevin be properly addressed before further people are brought to the centre so as to ensure they will be properly supported.