Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister is welcome to the Chamber and I wish him and his Department well in his work on this ongoing crisis. I would like to show my solidarity with the Ukrainian people, those who are fleeing war and those who are still in their own country. I am proud that Ireland is standing in solidarity and supporting the Ukrainian people at this awful time. I warmly welcome the Ukrainian people who have arrived in Ireland and those still making their way here. They have suffered an immense loss and I hope they find Ireland to be somewhere they can feel a sense of safety and belonging.

The invasion of Ukraine and the resulting refugee crisis is a human tragedy on an almost overwhelming scale. So many people have been driven from their homes by the Russian military assault. Again, the response from the European community, including Ireland, has been heartening. This crisis has had a deep resonance with the Irish people and they are eager to help in whatever ways they can. It is truly inspiring.

While I am inspired by the support shown for those displaced by the invasion of Ukraine, I worry that a hierarchy of victims is being created. For Palestinians, Yemenis and people of other oppressed and occupied nations, seeing the western world rush to condemn Russian imperialism and embrace displaced Ukrainians has been bittersweet. On one hand, no one is better able to understand and empathise with the anger, fear and desperation that Ukrainians feel than these peoples who are also being killed and dispossessed by larger aggressor nations. On the other hand, seeing the suffering of other people capture attention and sympathy around the world when one’s own plight is ignored is extremely painful. We must remember that all human suffering deserves our attention and our outrage. I am referring to invasions, occupations and bombing campaigns targeting civilians. These war crimes are just as vile no matter who they target. We need to extend this degree of empathy to all victims of oppression and war.

I hope this moment generates a moral reckoning with how we have treated people coming to Ireland who are fleeing violence and conflict. So many people have been subject to the awful conditions and endless waiting of direct provision. Many have had their applications for protection turned down on flimsy pretences necessitating drawn-out, emotionally taxing legal battles. Asylum seekers have had to fight for their right to work and their right to cook for their children, as the Minister well knows and I know he works hard on this area. I hope this is the beginning of a new chapter in Ireland’s response to the migrant crisis, one that demonstrates compassion and humanity that we can be proud of as a nation.

The temporary protection directive activated across the EU is a timely and effective response to this unfolding disaster. It will allow the Ukrainians coming to Ireland regularised status and access to public services. Its application to all residents of Ukraine at the time of the invasion and its emphasis on keeping families together demonstrates admirable compassion and foresight. This is a very humane vision and it should be replicated in Ireland’s approach to refugees fleeing violence and persecution elsewhere. The best way to do this is via the International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill introduced by my colleagues in the Civil Engagement Group and former Senator Collette Kelleher. This Bill, which is on Committee Stage in the Dáil, would allow refugees and those in receipt of subsidiary protection to apply for permission for close family members to enter and reside in the State. If passed, the Bill would help alleviate the sense of isolation, worry and guilt experienced by many refugees as they try to build a new life for themselves in Ireland, far away from their families.

Accommodating so many refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere will be a challenge. My concern is that the Irish State has been unwilling to use its financial and administrative capacity to make much of a dent in homelessness figures or the number of asylum seekers languishing in direct provision. Faced with the arrival of tens of thousands of refugees the Government plans to use hotel rooms and spare rooms in private residences as an initial response. This is not a permanent solution. We know all too well how damaging it is to confine people, especially children, in hotel rooms and other forms of temporary accommodation. Plans for more suitable long-term accommodation are urgently needed.

The State needs to rediscover its capacity for ambitious intervention in social affairs. Almost 100 years ago, while under massive financial strain this State built social housing that still stands today. The miraculous roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccines is an example of what a disciplined, well-resourced State project can achieve in modern times.The State needs to marshal its resources to renovate the over 90,000 vacant homes around the country. Tackling dereliction could transform Ireland's response to homelessness and the worldwide refugee crisis thus providing real safety and security to those who need it. The scale of this crisis demands extraordinary action.