Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I call on the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, to create a formal public consultation process on emergency refugee accommodation across the country. Recent national and international documentaries have addressed the ongoing issue of migration in Ireland and its impact on local communities. Our Government fails to cope with our growing international protection population and it fails to accommodate the needs of people living in this country as well as new arrivals. The tension, anger and unrest in our country is inescapable. Certain opportunists seize upon local communities who protest peacefully in their home towns and villages. They are concerned citizens who want transparency and accountability from their Government. Local amenities, such as water supplies, health services, school places, and general infrastructure needs, are strained by any population growth. Locals of Coole in County Westmeath, Roscrea in County Tipperary, Killarney in County Kerry and many other localities in Ireland have watched their local industries and amenities disappear because of Government contracts made with little or no transparency.

Locals have concerns about the lack of hotel accommodation and function spaces, and about the effects of a 50% population increase - in one case 100% in a village - on water services and other services due to integration of their population. The Government is nowhere to be seen on these issues. We need less conversation about international obligations and more about national obligations.

We owe the people of Ireland a robust public consultation system that ensures a platform to allow input from locals regarding significant changes made to their communities in respect of international protection accommodation services, IPAS contracts. Otherwise, we can only expect the anger to continue and the Government is not exonerated from its obligation to appease public discontent.