asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to reports that some councils in Britain are offering free tickets home to Irish families who approach them looking for emergency accommodation; if so, the action, if any, he has taken in the matter; and if he has asked the Irish Embassy in London to take up the matter with the Ministry of the Environment in the United Kingdom.
Written Answers. - Accommodation in UK for Irish Citizens.
26.
The Government would obviously be concerned if Irish citizens were subject to discriminatory practices by any council in Britain.
I have recently become aware that one council, namely Camden in London, is reported to have offered free tickets home to a number of Irish families seeking emergency accommodation. I have, therefore, instructed the Embassy in London to meet urgently with the relevant authorities in Camden with a view to establishing the full facts of the situation. Once these have been established, I will be in a position to consider what, if any, action is required.