Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I raise an issue that came to my attention this afternoon when it was published on the Government website. It is the modular development plan announced by the Department of the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman. It is accommodation for the beneficiaries of temporary accommodation from Ukraine. There are 74,744 Ukrainians currently in State accommodation. Another 30,000 have sought alternative accommodation either by renting because they can avail of the rent allowance scheme or living with family or friends already here. The Government has stated it is expecting another 30,000 to 50,000 next year from Ukraine.

Today the 100,000 already here got the best news ever. The Government announced the guidelines for submissions from developers to provide independent own-door modular accommodation for Ukrainians. It is not bad for those who might have only been in the country for 18 months to land a brand new, state-of-the-art modular home compliments of the taxpayer. What is this Government thinking? Is it listening to the people on the ground? There are over 13,000 people homeless and 97,171 on the local authority housing lists, some waiting over 15 years. We have 25,000 in direct provision centres. I know of one man who is in there for 17 years. Where are the own-doors for all these people? We have family homes overcrowded with second generations living in them, families with disabilities or medical needs waiting for independent living accommodation and families with land who cannot even put a modular home for their own growing families on it.Where is the “own door” for the families trying to buy houses and people trying to get on the property ladder for the first time? This is a mess. It is out of control. In Swords, there were 575 applications for 13 houses through the cost rental scheme. The Government is not reading the room. Throughout this country, people are protesting the numbers communities are expected to sustain. I am sick to death of the fact that every time I raise this issue, I am shouted down by the do-gooders in here whose parties last week have flip-flipped on the issue of immigration. We need a debate with Roderic O’Gorman on this serious issue because his Department is not talking to Darragh O’Brien’s Department and they are competing against each other.