Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not believe everything I see on social media but this morning I saw something that I want to raise. I follow some of the campaigns on ending direct provision as do many Members. I raised this issue yesterday and the Deputy Leader said we will have a debate in the autumn. A bowl of soup and cheese and ham sandwiches is the food that has been provided for a number of weeks in one direct provision centre. This does not respect equality or the human rights of people. Hotels in rural parts of Ireland are being sold for direct provision centres. Hoteliers are making millions of euro off the backs of people's human rights and equality. People are being treated as though they have done something wrong by fleeing for their lives and seeking asylum in our country. I am against anyone buying these hotels. It feeds into the problem and does not go towards ending the direct provision system, which is provided for in the programme for Government. We are meant to be working on it. Apart from the White Paper published more than a year ago, there has been very little. I understand the effects of the coronavirus and the crisis in Europe with the war in Ukraine. We have to think about these people and the food and services they receive. They face human rights and equality issues every day. It is not acceptable for the well-being of the children or adults involved that Ukrainian refugees are living in hotel bedrooms.

An old man and woman in their 70s lived at No. 8 Labre Park for more than 50 years. They were told that they would get great settled accommodation 1 km away. In one way they were forced, although their arms were not twisted. They moved out of Labre Park after 50 years. Now that house is lying idle and the man and woman are trying to get back into that Traveller-specific accommodation. No work has been done on it. This man and woman want to return to it and give the other accommodation to a homeless family. They are aged over 70 and they should be allowed back into the accommodation.I would appreciate support from everybody in the House in the coming weeks as I try to support that family in trying to get back into the accommodation.