Dáil Debate | Accommodation Needs of Those Fleeing Ukraine: Statements

I would like to share time with my colleague, Deputy Duncan Smith.

I thank the Ministers, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, Coveney and O'Gorman, for updating us on the Government's response to Russian war of brutal aggression on a peaceful democratic country.

I will start by commending the Government on the generosity of spirit that it and the Irish people have shown in their approach in offering support and sanctuary to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. We in the Labour Party will stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and we will stand in support of all the Government efforts that have been taken to ensure that we are offering as much sanctuary and support as we can in this country, as the Minister, Deputy Coveney, said, without the imposition of quotas or visas.

This is a national effort. We are militarily, but not politically, neutral on this and that is clear. Certainly, in my previous capacity, on the then Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence, I spoke out consistently against Russia's aggression in waging a proxy war in Syria. It is the exact same tactics that we are seeing here with Russia waging this war, directly, in this case, on the people of Ukraine but also, as the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, said, weaponising human misery by seeking to undermine European solidarity and European democracies through creating and exacerbating a cost-of-living crisis and through causing so many thousands, indeed, millions, of Ukrainian people to have to flee their homeland in such appalling circumstances.

We will continue, of course, to stand in solidarity with Irish Government efforts to ensure Russian accountability for complicity in the brutal war crimes that we have seen committed against the people of Ukraine. I appreciate the Minister, Deputy Coveney's update on that.

Last week the Labour Parliamentary Party wrote to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to offer our constructive support in the national effort to ensure that we in Ireland can offer the strongest possible support to our Ukrainian friends who have come here seeking sanctuary.

We are also responding separately - my colleague, Senator Rebecca Moynihan, our housing spokesperson, is collating a response to the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien - with constructive suggestions on possible vacant housing options. We welcome the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien's call for buildings and his engagement with Opposition representatives on this. We recognise the immense challenges involved and we appreciate and acknowledge the substantial effort of so many public servants, civil servants, NGOs and local authorities that have really stepped up. Fifty staff, in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth alone, form the Ukraine unit. I have met with so many public and civil servants who have done so much already to support Ukrainian visitors.

In my constituency, in Dublin Bay South, we have seen a huge community effort. We have seen the great Evergreen centre in Terenure set up a weekly event for those hosting Ukrainian families and for their Ukrainian visitors, Swan Leisure in Rathmines holding community events, and many church groups across the constituency and other community groups organising events, and we are seeing similar across the country.

We are also looking at accommodation needs. I, along with my colleague, Councillor Dermot Lacey, have identified the long vacant Baggot Street hospital as a State-owned building. I think it is on the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien's radar that it may well be available to offer emergency accommodation. I am also aware of Avalon House, for example, an empty hostel on Aungier Street in Dublin city centre, that also has space and has quite a considerable number of empty bedrooms.

We are aware that the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman's Department is co-ordinating the State response but clearly there is substantial feed-in and co-ordination with other Departments. In our letter to the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, we sought to offer our support in a range of different areas.

On the accommodation point, we asked for clarity on the role of international protection accommodation service, IPAS, as compared with the role of local authorities. We have received a little more clarity on that today but we want to ensure that there is clear co-ordinating of the accommodation needs of Ukrainian guests. Certainly, I have been contacted by constituents telling me there is a lack of information available. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, said we all need to be patient. Clearly, this is a massive effort and the Irish Red Cross has had to have significant additional capacity provided to enable it to co-ordinate responses to those pledges of accommodations alone. Certainly, there should be clearer information and co-ordination in terms of the offer of accommodation and I absolutely agree with the need to ensure that there is no divisive rhetoric used in the co-ordinated response on accommodation.

This can be a win-win in terms of offering constructive solutions to address our own pre-existing homelessness crisis along with providing more emergency and shorter-term accommodation for our Ukrainian guests. Student accommodation clearly will be coming into the picture as well in the summer and that will be welcome. In my constituency, there is quite a significant body of availability there.

We are also asking for a timeline for the establishment of community hubs across the country. We understand Tusla is the designated agency and we have suggested that it might be preferable to establish such hubs uniformly across the country. We have asked how the views and experiences of those affected who have fled Ukraine can be inputted into developing our national response.

In my engagement with my local officials in Dublin City Council, I am aware there is a concern about having a clear funding stream available to local authorities to enable them to offer support. In many cases, this involves small amounts of money. These are essential supports to fund community and voluntary organisations working on a local basis with Ukrainian families and individuals here and we seek to have that clear funding stream available.

On the issue of employment, any Ukrainian visitors I have met are so keen to engage in work and many are so highly skilled. I met some, particularly women, with wonderful qualifications. I have also met with local employers who are keen to recruit and to ensure that they can match their skill shortages in sectors, for example, pharmacy, retail, hospitality and care work, with the skills of Ukrainians coming here. I have already put down questions on this. What co-ordinated response can we offer to those who wish to offer their services and to those who are looking to employ Ukrainian visitors here given the skill shortage and the recruitment difficulties in many sectors?

We have also raised questions with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, around educational needs of children to ensure minimal disruption of children. There are some reports of children being moved from school to school since arrival in Ireland. That is clearly regrettable. Indeed, there is a need for supports for those with mental health issues and with physical health issues to ensure that there is consistency of care from GPs across the country.

We have offered many different constructive solutions and we look forward to engaging further with the Government. I will hand over to my colleague.