Taoiseach: Local communities must be consulted before refugees arrive

 Taoiseach Micheal Martin appealed to wider society to be welcoming.

Anti-refugee protests play into the hands of Russia, but local communities must be consulted on arrangements for housing new arrivals, the Taoiseach has said.

Micheál Martin was speaking after hundreds of people attended a protest in the East Wall area of Dublin, where a group of 80 asylum seekers arrived last week. Speakers at the protest included elements of Ireland's far-right, as well as a number of elected representatives.

The single men from Afghanistan, Somalia and Nigeria are the first 80 of up to 380 people including families who will be housed at the former East Wall ESB building on North Richmond Street.

Speaking in Shankill in Dublin on Monday, Mr Martin said while he did not have the "full background" of the situation, the local community should have been consulted by the Department of Children and Integration before the arrivals.

Time constraints

 Sources have argued, however, that the international protection system is "under immense pressure" because of both the response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis and a spike in international protection applicants. This, they say, makes it difficult to clear decisions with communities due to time constraints.

However, Mr Martin appealed to the community and the wider society to be welcoming.

"There should be consultation. But that said, we have a very significant issue in terms of migration, not just in Ireland but across Europe. First of all, we have a number of people having to flee Ukraine because of the brutal war that Putin has created. And Putin wants these type of issues to arise in societies. He is weaponising migration ...  that's clearly the agenda of the winter period, as well as the weaponisation of food and the weaponisation of energy, which has led to the energy prices increases and the energy crisis more generally.

"So as a society I would appeal that we hold this together."

"[Today] I paid tribute to the many, many communities the length and breadth of the country who did exceptional work, and are doing exceptional work in welcoming Ukrainian families. I've witnessed this myself, travelling around the country, met communities, met people in our communities who have been very well and warmly received.

"And that's the spirit that I would continue with notwithstanding the very significant challenges more generally."

Housing

Speaking at the same event, the breaking of ground on the largest public housing scheme in the state in recent years at Shanganagh Castle in Shankill, Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien said that reaching 28,000 homes built next year will be challenging. He said that a new bill to overhaul Ireland's planning code will be before Cabinet in the coming weeks.

"We're coming from 20,000 last year and the year before so building it up this year. And there's always challenges in delivery, but we've the plan in place to do that. And it's taking hold. So we've got to look at how we can further expedite that delivery because we all know we need to be over 30,000 to near at least an average of 33,000 and more."