O'Gorman briefs parties on efforts to house 150-200 arrivals daily

Equality Minister Roderic O'Gorman told Fine Gael members that Ireland had been asked to find public services for a population the size of Galway in just a few short few months. Picture: Damien Storan

The State is now housing 62,000 refugees from Ukraine and asylum seekers in the direct provision system — up from 7,500 a year ago — Equality Minister Roderic O’Gorman has told meetings of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

Mr O’Gorman asked to brief both parliamentary parties to keep them fully apprised of the situation in relation to refugees amid concerns about the State’s capacity to accommodate such large numbers. 

Mr O'Gorman told Fine Gael members that Ireland had been asked to find public services for a population the size of Galway in just a few short few months.

Mr O’Gorman sought to explain why more than 80 Ukrainians were turned away a couple of weekends ago due to a lack of beds. He said his department is now having to provide accommodation for between 150 and 200 people arriving each day, as well as those currently in the country.

Under questioning, he said the Government is now developing a database to track offers of large-scale accommodation amid criticism of pledges being ignored.

He said there is a new outward facing portal that will help with submitting properties, screening them and advancing those which can be operationalised quickly. He told Fine Gael members that this portal would be online in the coming weeks.

He also acknowledged the "huge effort" by the Irish public to support those who had arrived here and welcomed them into their communities.

He urged elected representatives to work with his department as the refugee effort continues.

Economic slow down

At the Fine Gael meeting, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar warned that the Irish economy will slow down next year and any growth will “be low”. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe told the meeting that growth next year would be low, but that September's budget was drawn up to reflect this.

The meeting heard criticism of Sinn Féin who “wanted to spend the entire surplus and all corporation tax receipts in recent years”.

Mr Varadkar said the thoughts of all were with those losing their jobs in the tech sector, though sources said that he was “not overly worried” about the effect of layoffs at major firms on the overall economy.

The Fine Gael leader said a budget surplus was maintained in recent years as ours is a small, open, diverse economy, and when events change worldwide, they can impact quickly on us.

Mr Varadkar said Fine Gael is not complacent in any way about our economy. He encouraged people to continue to study science, engineering, and maths as there will be future employment growth in the tech sector.

Tehran

However, there was criticism about plans to reopen the Irish embassy in Tehran next year in light of ongoing violent putdowns of protests in Iran as well as reports that its Government has sold military equipment to Russia for use in Ukraine. 

Both Senator Regina Doherty and Carlow-Kilkenny TD John Paul Phelan said that such an approach would be out of kilter with the Government's support of both human rights and Ukraine.

Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys outlined further cost-of-living measures coming next week: A disability payment (€500), fuel allowance lump sum (€400), working family payment (€500), living alone allowance (€200) with a carers grant (€500) coming the week of November 21, and a Christmas double payment beginning on December 5.