Accommodation communications strategy
Deputy Gannon criticised repeated failures in managing community communications around new accommodation centres and sought more detail on the tendered strategy. O’Brien outlined the briefing process for local representatives and said a broader communications plan was being developed by the Department of the Taoiseach.
Nobody doubts the scale of the challenge facing the State and communities all over the country in terms of providing shelter, welcome and safety to so many people who have travelled here over the past year. What I find unacceptable is the repetition of mistakes, time and again, that started almost last October in East Wall and have continued right up to Magowna this weekend.
I want to ask about the communications strategy. The Minister mentioned that a tender has been initiated in the past two weeks. I would like more detail. I am conscious that the Minister of State with responsibility in this area stated yesterday in the Irish Examiner:
In January, upon taking office, I had initiated proposals based on recruitment of a small team and utilising existing community networks under my remit. However officials of the Department of Taoiseach wanted time to explore alternative models of engagement and I understand that work is ongoing.
What is incorporated in these tenders, when did the Minister of State find out about it and why are we only hearing about it now?
Comment on this
I will explain how we do engagement ahead of a new accommodation centre opening. As soon as a contract gets agreed, either I or the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, or close staff, will share a briefing, that is approximately six or seven pages long, on the details of that accommodation centre with all the local elected representatives. The problem is that the timeline between when the contract is agreed and when we get to share that information and move people in is quite tight.
In relation to the tender, the Department of the Taoiseach has been drawing up plans for a communications strategy over the past couple of months. Obviously, new accommodation centres have been opening in the meantime and we have had difficulties with them as well. I would like to see it come as soon as possible. The tender is out. We hope to have some answers on that soon and that we will develop a new communications strategy, which will help. It will still be difficult. We will still have a very tight timeline, when new accommodation opens and when we are able to share the information with the local representatives in advance.