Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Fine Gael Senators for moving this motion. It gives us a valuable opportunity to recognise and applaud the work being done and to identify where more work needs to be done and where the gaps in our system lie. The sheer volume of aid raised through donations of money and supplies and the time and effort spent volunteering to help refugees, along with the hospitality and generosity of people opening their homes, is a true testament to Irish people putting their hearts into helping their neighbours. Everyone who has helped should be immensely proud.

As we look forward to the weeks and months to come, I strongly believe that the people of Ukraine who find themselves in Ireland will be best served by a centralised response from the Government that plans for the long term. The goodwill of our communities can do so much, but it will never operate efficiently without centralised oversight, and responsibility for that lies with the Government. We need a National Public Health Emergency Team-style task force to be assembled to co-ordinate the response and for there to be one figurehead with ultimate responsibility for managing, processing and housing Ukrainian refugees. We have reception supports at our ports of entry, staffed by departmental officials, to help to process incoming refugees. These have been operating on the basis of opening and closing hours, and that is ridiculous. They need to be operating 24-7, as people are coming into the country and walking past closed offices and missing out on information and supports.

We also need fast-tracked Garda vetting for all individuals seeking to volunteer to work with refugees. The Red Cross has raised this issue as well regarding the pledges which have been made to house refugees. We need long-term supports and resources in the context of housing. What checks are being carried out on those buildings being used to house refugees? Are the hotels in which they are being lodged certified for fire safety? These questions must be answered, and the questions cannot be bounced from Department to Department. A task force must order these inquiries.

Anyone processing refugees will say that the biggest problem with the system relates to opening bank accounts. While refugees are being given personal public service numbers they have no public services cards. To get one of those, it is necessary for refugees to have a letter from a statutory body, which they do not have. With no public services card, refugees cannot open a bank account and without a bank account, refugees cannot work. In 2022, the application process for a public services card still relies on face-to-face meetings, which must be booked by appointment. In the face of this humanitarian crisis, this is ludicrous. The process must be streamlined and made accessible to refugees. Equally, what long-term supports are being put in place for schools? I refer to teaching English as a foreign language classes, translators, and temporary infrastructure. Who will make this happen? The buck cannot be passed on to the local communities and volunteers. They lack the resources and ability to institute the changes necessary to facilitate refugees.

Regarding accommodation, the 2016 census found that there were 62,000 holiday homes and just short of 250,000 vacant properties here. I am all in favour of an incentive scheme to make use of these buildings. After all, it is for a good cause. I must wonder, however, if all the homeless people in Ireland are not also a good cause. Are those already in direct provision in this country not a good cause too? Are refugees from conflicts in other parts of the world also not a good cause? Such a scheme to make use of housing would be an excellent idea and it would have my full support, but the question must be asked about why we are only thinking of doing this now. That is food for thought.

Our local authorities must play a central role in accommodating refugees. They must be given accurate and up-to-date figures on the number of refugees relocating into their areas and their current housing locations to allow follow-up and follow-on for proper planning and processing. Each council must have a liaison officer who will deal directly with Ukrainians, and who must be fluent in Ukrainian or be accompanied by a translator, and who must remain aware of all the supports available to refugees to enable those families to best avail of them. We need a robust authentication system for qualifications issued by Ukrainian education and professional institutions, which strikes a fair balance between workability and thoroughness. We must also examine what needs to be done to facilitate the moving of students into third level education so they can finish their degrees. In addition, we must help Irish students who were studying in Ukraine. How are they being facilitated to continue their degree courses at home?

We also need trauma counselling in every school that will be taking in Ukrainian students. Recognition of Ukrainian driver licences must extend to other vehicle categories, such as heavy goods vehicles, where applicable. Again, this is to facilitate people working.

The final point is that, as unpopular as it may be, some form of screening must be put in place eventually. This is not to prevent legitimate refugees from entering the country, but to ensure instead that our resources go to legitimate refugees, rather than to non-Ukrainian residents in possession of a Ukrainian passport who may seek to take advantage of our emergency entry requirements. The bottom line is that the response to this crisis must be centralised and the lines of communication down the chain of command must be robust. Only then, will we be able to do the right thing by the people who need our help now.