Migrant accommodation in Clare
Deputy Crowe raises pressures from migrant and international protection accommodation in Lisdoonvarna and Ballyvaughan, arguing numbers are beyond what local services can bear. The Tánaiste accepts the pressures, notes contract changes and relocations are under way, and says Clare has been receptive but migration challenges are severe.
Deputy Patricia Ryan, unfortunately, is not with us. I call Deputy Cathal Crowe finally.
Comment on this
I have a letter here from a senior management official in Clare County Council. I will just read the beginning of it. It is written to Government.
I am writing to you regarding the deepening focus on migrant accommodation in north Clare, specifically in Lisdoonvarna and Ballyvaughan. I am urging you to reduce the numbers of migrants in these settlements to reasonable levels as I have serious concerns about the health, safety and welfare of the people in these communities.
To make it very clear, these are two very welcoming communities. They are not communities of protests or noise making. I want to put some perspective on this. The migrant population of Lisdoonvarna at this time represents 125% of the settled population of the town and the migrant population of Ballyvaughan represents 95% of the settled population of this village. This contrasts very sharply when compared with the overall county of Clare where the migrant population makes up 4.3% of the population and even more sharply when compared with Dublin, which is 0.9%. The town has taken a large number of migrants, welcomed them and supported them but the ancillary supports such as education and healthcare have not increased to that extent. We have had ambassadors down. We have had officials down. We had boots on the ground in the early weeks but they are not there anymore.
Comment on this
They are Ukrainians and international protection applicants. They have been welcomed. I want to make it crystal clear that there has been no hassle. The council, the county management team, the HSE and people in education have pointed out that when they represent 125% of the settled population, something has to give. We are asking for better management. A simple thing would be not to renew all the hotel contracts in the town.
Comment on this
I accept the point the Deputy is making. Obviously, the Russian war in Ukraine created many pressures and caused the largest displacement of people since the Second World War on the European Continent with about 12 million people displaced. That had an impact. There is a programme of change going on with some contracts not being renewed, and also relocation. The Ukrainian population has come down significantly, particularly the number of Ukrainians in State accommodation. I think it has come down to 63,000; I can check that just to be sure. That is ongoing. I will engage with the Minister for children, Roderic O'Gorman, on the points the Deputy has made. The Cabinet sub-committee has said that there cannot be an overconcentration in any one given area. I take the point the Deputy is making.
Comment on this
No other town has played a role like it.
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That is true and Clare generally has been a very receptive county overall but the challenges of migration are enormous. It is because of the earlier stuff we were talking about. There are wars all over the world and people are leaving with their children, trying to get out. What is going on in the world is terrible.