The people of Borrisokane bucked a trend in 2019 when they took in and welcomed 96 international protection applicants in the Riverside apartments, which included 27 primary school children. They now have status but are actually being evicted. The Minister's Department, in November 2019, sent and signed an agreement with them and with the liaison committee in Borrisokane stating that once they had HAP, they could stay in the apartments. The Government is now reneging on this.

I attended a large protest meeting last Friday night. In fairness, the Minister of State, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, also was in attendance. The people of Borrisokane, uniquely in this country and unlike anywhere else, are going to fight to keep the 96 new arrivals in their town. That is a good story and one that is unique. However, we have a situation in which they are being evicted. The reality is that this is going to create a dangerous precedent. What it is really saying is that the commercialisation of human suffering and the promotion of greed will take precedent because the Government will support taking out these applicants, who have status, to put in new applicants, as there is greater profit in it than actually allowing them to use HAP. When will this policy be reversed to ensure that integration means integration permanently and not just while it is profitable?

The Deputy will be aware that I have spoken on this issue already. I acknowledge the commitment of the people of Borrisokane to the new arrivals. It is not unique, as the Deputy will have seen from the case in County Clare. There are other situations around the country where people are housed in international protection accommodation on the assumption that it is temporary. I have read the letter to which the Deputy is referring and I can understand why people have been misled by the wording on it. That is deeply unfortunate. I have read it. I have been inquiring as to the level of supports which have been provided to the residents to source alternative accommodation and I am looking to see if we can do more in that regard. My understanding is they are being offered some alternatives rather than eviction.