Asylum accommodation and street sleeping
Deputy Murphy attacked the policy of giving emergency accommodation to Ukrainians but not other refugees, calling it discriminatory. The Taoiseach said Ireland was facing an unprecedented refugee crisis and lacked accommodation capacity; Murphy rejected that response and accused the Government of bowing to the far right.
I want to ask the Taoiseach about the incredible decision that people coming from Syria or refugees from elsewhere in the world other than Ukraine will have to sleep on the streets when Ukrainians, correctly, but it should be the case for everybody, will have emergency accommodation available to them. How can the Government justify such discrimination? Is it because the Ukrainians are European? Is it because they are white? Why is it okay for anybody to have to sleep on the street? Does the Taoiseach not accept that is not necessary for anybody - Irish, Syrian, Ukrainian - to be on the street in a situation where we have 50,000 homes that have been vacant for six years or more.
Comment on this
It is important to put this into context. We are facing an unprecedented situation, a refugee crisis the likes of which Europe has not seen since the Second World War and the likes of which we have never seen in Ireland. In the past year we have taken in about 100,000 people, mostly from Ukraine but also from other parts of the world. We have provided them with shelter, heat, light, education, healthcare and, in many cases, employment. There is no shortage of care or compassion when it comes to this Government and this country, but there is a shortage of capacity. We are running out of accommodation for people who come to Ireland. People who come to Ireland from Ukraine have a different legal status. They are beneficiaries of temporary protection and are legally entitled to be here. When it comes to people who come here seeking international protection, it is less clear. They may or may not be genuine refugees. It does put them in a different category than those coming from Ukraine.
Comment on this
That is scandalous. The Government is bowing to the far right.
Comment on this
You have to take a stand against it. It is scandalous.