Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 February 2023
65. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the plans his Department has to deal with the shortfall of accommodation for refugees; if his Department has planned for an increase in the number of rest centres for refugees coming to Ireland where they can stay temporarily before being moved to alternative accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6054/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra67. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the actions he is taking to ensure that adequate accommodation is available for refugees arriving in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6070/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra78. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will outline any proposals that his Department has in relation to dealing with accommodating international and temporary protection applicants in the coming quarter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6166/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the terrible war drags on in Ukraine, the suffering continues for so many Ukrainians. They are being pushed out of their country and many of them are coming in our direction. What plans has the Department in place to be able to accommodate people? Is the Department proposing to continue with the rest centre model or what is the plan? There is also the issue with people being moved out of hotels. What will be the situation with people who are already here? I would appreciate it if the Minister could provide an outline on that.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 67 and 78 together.
The response to the ongoing migration crisis has entered a difficult phase with limited accommodation for international protection applicants available in the short-to-medium term, particularly for single adults. I can assure the Deputies that every effort is being made by my Department to address the current shortfall in accommodation. Since 1 December 2022 to 30 January 2023, more than 1,700 additional spaces have been brought into use by the International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS, for international protection applicants.
To provide some context to this figure, the average annual number of people arriving in Ireland seeking international protection from 2017 to 2019 was 3,500. The arrival numbers are at an all time high with 15,000 people arriving in 2022. In the first month of 2023, more than 1,200 new international protection applicants have sought accommodation from the State.
The Department has made every possible effort to secure accommodation and has sought support from the widest possible range of organisations to provide accommodation to international protection applicants. Where request for tender processes have not delivered the required capacity, the Department has engaged in emergency accommodation sourcing through networks with other State accommodation providers such as the local authorities, through newspaper advertisements, through cold calling and the use of online booking engines.
The Department has reached out to other Departments such as the Department of Education for school and third level institution facilities, the Department of Defence for unused barracks and buildings, the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media for sporting and arts facilities, and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications and the Office of Public Works for buildings that can be used to accommodate people. Many of the offers that have come through these requests have resulted in accommodation, both temporary and longer term.
In 2022, the Department has utilised all manner of buildings offered to it including office buildings and sports facilities such as Páirc Uí Chaoimh and the National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown. The Department continues to evaluate all offers from providers who will accommodate international protection applicants. Last week, I wrote to ministerial colleagues seeking their assistance in sourcing buildings to facilitate emergency rest centre operations to address the increase in arrivals.
Intensive efforts are being undertaken daily by my staff to source emergency accommodation. However, procuring enough bed space to keep pace with incoming arrivals remains extremely challenging, leading to a significant shortfall.
The sourcing of accommodation for international protection applicants is becoming increasingly challenging, in particular for single males. The lead-in for international protection accommodation can at times be lengthy and complex, particularly with regard to appraisal and evaluation from a building control regulations and renovation timelines perspective and on negotiations and contract engagement.
The Department, in co-operation with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, introduced a planning exemption for the change of use of office buildings and other warehouse-type facilities to assist in addressing the shortfall in international protection, IP, accommodation. Unfortunately, the take-up of this exemption by accommodation providers has been limited thus far.
However, there is no delay from the Department in regard to its evaluation of offers and proposals are being appraised and agreed at a rapid pace. There is significantly more demand for accommodation on account of Ukrainian displaced persons requiring accommodation and the increasing number of protests adds another layer of complexity to providers offering their accommodation for international protection.
In terms of measures being taken to increase capacity of accommodation for Ukrainian displaced persons, the Department continues to source shelter from multiple sources when it comes to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The Department is actively engaging with a range of stakeholders including accommodation providers, local authorities, Departments and implementing partners in efforts to secure new accommodation for Ukrainian displaced persons. As I said earlier, we are working with the Office of Public Works, OPW, in terms of the rapid build housing programme, with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage in terms of refurbished properties and on the Offer a Home campaign, and with accommodation providers through the new accommodation offer portal. We have engaged with sports bodies, religious institutions, etc.
My Department continues to engage regularly with the City and County Management Association and the Local Government Management Association in terms of the provision of rest centres which has been important, particularly in meeting surges of arrivals of displaced persons from Ukraine.
Notwithstanding the real and immediate challenges, my Department continues to work to secure accommodation for both international protection applicants and Ukrainian displaced persons.
In the interests of clarity on these questions, the first speaker is Teachta Ó Muineacháin, followed by Deputies Bríd Smith and Ruairí Ó Murchú.
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as an eolas ansin. There is quite a bit of information on it.
Trying to predict how many spaces will be needed or how many people will be on the move fleeing the conflict is difficult, but the Minister undoubtedly has a good estimate of how many people are already in Ireland in, for example, hotel accommodation that would otherwise be being used for tourism. As such, he should have a good idea of what will happen with them in the weeks and months ahead as we approach the tourism season. We cannot pass these people from pillar to post. They need to know where they stand and what their situations will be in the months ahead. Knowing how the Government will accommodate them is important from their point of view but also from the point of view of tourism and so on.
It is reasonable to assume that, as we move through spring towards the anniversary of the start of the war, there will be a surge in the conflict, which would drive more people into flight.
I will start by quoting an Afghani international protection applicant who arrived in Ireland on 26 January: "I have nowhere to go, I'm tired and I'm afraid I will die in the cold." This was when the Government announced it had no more accommodation for international protection applicants. On top of that are the 5,000 people who have the right to leave direct provision but are still stuck in it because they have nowhere to go. It is baffling the Minister's party in particular made it a point of principle in designing the programme for Government to end direct provision and deal with these crises, but here we are slap bang in the middle of one.
I wish to challenge what the Taoiseach said yesterday in answer to Deputies Pringle and Barry on Leaders' Questions. He repeated it on "Morning Ireland" today. He said that our telling the Government and previous Governments they had created a housing crisis over the past decade or more had led to the rise of the far right and the lack of accommodation for people who were seeking Ireland's protection. He said that we are giving them an out, but we are not. It is a fact that this Government has voted down every progressive means we have tried to introduce to end the housing crisis, which is at the root of the problem.
The Minister has spoken about quick builds, modular builds and 3D printing. We need to consider all options. We know about the multidepartmental conversations that are happening in respect of accommodation. As Deputy Bríd Smith said, though, we are dealing with an accommodation crisis, and we need to get to the bottom of it first and foremost. In fairness, the Minister has always been available to answer specific queries. What interactions have there been between Departments? What is our ability to put a plan in place so that people are not left on the street? What sort of accommodation can we plan for and for what numbers? We have always said that the process needs to be streamlined, which I accept is happening in part.
To answer Deputy Aindrias Moynihan's questions first, we have a significant number of contracts with hotel accommodation providers. We are looking to renew those through the new contract, which takes a bed-only approach to accommodation. To date, no provider has rejected the new contract and a significant number have signed up to it. This is positive in terms of our ability to maintain the existing level of capacity. We continue to engage and, as contracts come up for renewal, we will engage with more contractors to secure hotel and guest house accommodation.
Deputy Bríd Smith raised a point about ending direct provision. We must recognise the changed landscape in terms of the numbers we are seeking to accommodate. The White Paper was introduced on the basis of 3,500 people coming through the system each year. Last year, 15,000 came through it. We must respond to the changed landscape. It is posing a unique challenge that would have been large on its own, but our need to accommodate 55,000 people coming from Ukraine adds to it. The Deputy knows from first-hand experience the difficulties in securing accommodation and the challenges encountered in having to respond to inaccurate, false or manipulated information, even in terms of securing accommodation for very short periods. We must try to put in place a larger system for accommodating migrants that can deal with more than 3,500 people per year. That will be a medium-to-long-term project. We also have an immediate need to secure accommodation right now. We are engaging with all Departments. For example, we have received support from the Department of Defence in the use of Kilbride barracks and, in the coming weeks, Mullingar barracks for international protection applicants. We are engaging with other Departments and Government agencies so that we can avoid people being left without accommodation. People are being left without accommodation, and that is not acceptable. We will continue working to end that situation.
I will stay focused on the people fleeing from the terrible war in Ukraine. Is it intended that the rest centres will follow a similar model? Will there be more rest centres? What does the Minister envisage being required in the event of more people fleeing?
People in, for example, hotels would like to know where they stand. There needs to be communication with them. There also needs to be communication locally where other accommodation is being put in place. If there is no communication, there can often be an information gap that someone else will fill. It is important that there be credible sources of information so that people know what is happening.
I recognise the changed landscape to which the Minister referred, but I wish the Government would recognise that that change is taking place in the middle of a housing crisis. There seems to be a refusal by every member of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party to recognise that a large part of the accommodation problem has to do with the disgraceful housing crisis in which we have found ourselves. It is giving rise to decent people supporting far-right rhetoric because they have been ten, 12 or 15 years on the housing list and are confused about who gets what in this society. I do not blame them one bit for that. I blame nasty and hateful far-right leaders, but not ordinary people who are confused by the situation. I blame the Government for not recognising this factor. There are Government Deputies - not necessarily Green Party ones, but Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael ones - talking about pull factors and problems with north African men. They need to shut up and deal with this situation decently through a true cross-party Government effort that examines the matter urgently. There are many ways to handle matters and the situation should not be handled in this slipshod way. There needs to be more urgency and co-ordination.
It goes without saying that we need to deal with the housing crisis. There are significant levels of disinformation as well as what one can only call at best "negative actors", the far right, etc. A large amount of it cannot be called anything other than idiocy, but it is dangerous idiocy. We need to ensure there is no space for that. We also need to ensure that the outstanding issues relating to the payment of people providing accommodation are resolved.
I would like details about another matter. If people are fleeing oppression, they have a right to apply for international protection, but the process has always been too long. What is being done to streamline it? We may need a wider conversation on the work visa system. I am like many Deputies. Most of the people contacting me work in the community helping those in international protection and temporary protection.
We also need to consider dealing with the holiday home issue.
I agree with the Minister on the seriousness of the challenge and the changing landscape.
We must do everything in our power to meet that challenge head on. We must first meet the challenge of the number of people who are and have been homeless in our society. We must recognise that it is easy to blame the Government for everything. The Government did not start the war in Ukraine or in the various other countries from whence immigrants are coming at present. It is also important that we recognise that to shoehorn people in on top of society in inadequate accommodation is a recipe for disaster. We must ensure that at least basic requirements are met in such situations.
Hear, hear.
My last comment is simply this. We should not forget so easily that, as a race, we were immigrants and asylum seekers, both economic and otherwise, for a long time. We must confront the hatemongers who are now in our society using the situation to generate fear and resentment.
We will continue to use rest centres. They are an extremely important part of our response and part of the contribution local authorities have made. There may be a greater call on local authorities for the use of rest centres, especially as we enter the summer, depending, as the Deputy said, on the numbers that continue to arrive. Numbers have been lower since Christmas but last week, for example, they increased again to 124 per day.
The issue of communications is important. If we are moving Ukrainians from accommodation, we try to give them notice but there are times when moves have to take place rapidly. We do our best, but we need to signal to people that there may be times when we have to act quickly, especially if a contract falls through for a distinct reason.
In response to Deputy Bríd Smith, throughout all my communications from the first day of the invasion and its resulting challenges, I have recognised we are responding to the war in Ukraine and an increase in migration in the context of a housing crisis in Ireland. I have never not recognised that we have a housing crisis. I have always been explicit that our accommodation response for Ukrainians and international protection applicants is different and separate from our response to the needs of people experiencing the housing crisis. There may be confusion about our response and about who gets what which is being taken advantage of, but I have always been clear that Ukrainians and international protection applicants do not get a position on the social housing list or access to HAP. They are provided with emergency accommodation.
My Department has brought 75,000 beds of emergency accommodation on stream in the past year. That scale of emergency accommodation has never before been delivered in one year in this State. It is basic in many places but it provides shelter and security for individuals. I have always been clear that we have done so in the context of the wider response to the housing crisis. I know the Deputy will criticise our response to that but we are working in the same context.
In response to Deputy Ó Murchú, there are issues related to payments. We are trying to reallocate staff to the payments unit. I accept some providers have experienced delays. We have paid out more than €500 million to date but I recognise there have been delays and we are looking at how to address them. The Deputy is also correct about the need to streamline and speed up the assessment of people's applications for international protection. One of the reasons direct provision became such a problem is that people were left in the system for so long. I recognise the work the Minister, Deputy McEntee, did and the Minister, Deputy Harris, is now doing to put additional resources in place to speed up that process in order for people to get their determinations earlier.
