International protection street sleeping
Ivana Bacik raised concern that more than 1,000 people seeking international protection were sleeping rough in Dublin, including in tents near Mount Street. The Taoiseach explained the situation by reference to government decisions, planning issues and differing legal statuses.
Today, more than 1,000 people are seeking international protection here and are sleeping rough on the streets of our capital city, many of them in tents less than 1 km away from here in Mount Street. Leaving people on the streets in poor weather risks lives. Emergency measures were put in place when there was public outcry during the snow last week. However, on Monday, those vulnerable people were told to go out and fend for themselves again. That is shameful in Ireland in 2024, especially when we see so many vacant properties that could be used to give people shelter. Is it the case that a particular Government decision prevents certain properties that are vacant - for example, a refurbished vacant property that was scheduled to host people from Ukraine - being used to house international protection applicants? Some 1,100 such applicants are being forced to sleep on the streets because there is nowhere available for them. Will the Taoiseach indicate why properties such as those to which I refer cannot be repurposed?
Comment on this
There is a Government decision, and there is also a planning issue. People who are beneficiaries of temporary protection, those who have come here from Ukraine, have a different legal status from those who are seeking international protection. There are properties that are being refurbished and that are designated for Ukrainians that cannot currently be used by people who are seeking international protection. This is because of a Government decision and a legal difference in their status.