Matt Shanahan condemns Russian atrocities, urges urgent refugee housing

I think we have 10 minutes. You have 12 and a half, believe it or not. I beg your pardon, sorry, thanks. That's inflation, Deputy, I think. Minister, I think we're all witnessing the horror of war at the moment and certainly we are removed from it, but the destruction that's happening and the annexation in parts of Crimea is truly horrifying. And furthermore, the crimes, the war crimes taking place, the brutality, the rape and the genocide is something that the Russian leadership is going to have to be held to account for into the future. The pictures that have come out of Buka in the last two weeks and just yesterday again showing victims with their hands tied, their fingernails removed in obvious torture, women and children raped. These are crimes against humanity. At some future point, Ireland must be more strident in terms of expressing outrage at what is happening there. The recent television propaganda from Russia detailing the extermination of the population of Ireland and Britain to Russia in a nuclear attack are a further sign of the desperation of Russian leadership as they move to provide new threats to Western support of Ukraine's fight for democratic survival. The Russian ambassador minister has repeatedly lied to the Irish people, and again he should be summoned by government to account for the tyrannical threats of Vladimir Putin to our country and to our existence. He should also get the message that Ireland has never stood down to bullying. I want to sincerely thank the Irish people for our collective response to the ongoing Ukraine crisis. Thanks to our NGOs, our local authorities and specifically my own Warford local authority who is doing an outstanding job, and the leading departments and their officials who have gone to extraordinary lengths to try to provide shelter and welcome to Ukrainian refugees coming into Ireland. The minister outlined earlier that the number so far stands at 27,300 and is growing daily, and to date 18,000 people have required temporary accommodation. In my county of Warford, as well as many other counties, generous homeowners have provided immediate accommodation in their houses. In Warford, we presently have refugees staying in a number of sports centres in the city and county. In addition, I would like to thank Minister O'Gornan and his department officials for expediting a property offer I brought to him some weeks ago, and Grace Dewhouse in Warford this weekend is welcoming the first of their many guests. Minister O'Brien outlined the significant work being done by his department, the local authorities, the OPW and NGOs to identify additional possible property locations. As a member of the Regional Group Minister, we brought a motion to this house only in past weeks to target the significant vacant properties that are lying idle around the country. I welcome the minister's decision to reform the Fair Deal scheme to allow properties to become available to the rental market. The minister has also mentioned the possibility of providing modular home solutions on public lands which could revert in the future back to the state as part of temporary housing stock. I think this is an initiative that must be expedited immediately, minister. There is no reason to delay that. The minister mentioned the agility of Ireland's response to the crisis. There is probably much more we can do. In Waterford, I have had a number of community organizations contact me with a view to providing outreach activity for Ukrainian visitors. At present, there is no designated contact person to coordinate such offers, although I welcome again Minister O'Brien saying additional staffing was now being provided to local authorities. Many of the visitors coming here wish to work, but again, there is no formalized process to provide work access routes for them. One of the biggest deficits in the country at present, minister, is in haulage drivers. Ukrainian HGV license hauliers do not have their licenses recognized here. Ukrainian car licenses are recognized, however. Germany has moved to give immediate recognition to Ukrainian HGV licenses, and these drivers are taking up immediate employment. I would ask, minister, that you speak to the Department of Transport to question why we cannot follow the lead of Germany and adopt a similar position that would provide much needed skilled labor to the transport and logistics sector. School access and teaching cover is a significant issue already, with some schools having taken in Ukrainian children with no English, but also without Ukrainian translators to help. Teaching cover must be provided to ensure seamless integration of these children, minister, but also to defend against the charge of disadvantaging the existing pupil-teacher ratios. With respect to the issue of private pledges, which has been mentioned here already, they have become somewhat problematic. People may be foregoing rent on summer holiday lets that they are now reconsidering. The potential duration of stay may be a concern for many, and the introduction of tenancy rights may be in the minds of some of the 6,000 pledges now declined. In addition, the standards demanded for accommodation provision are possibly a bar too high for many properties that have been offered. People may be also holding off in case the government decides to financially support pledged arrangements. And I think this is something, minister, the government needs to make a decision on soon and to announce it. I am glad to hear the minister say earlier that the Housing for All program funding is separate and ring-fenced from Ukrainian accommodation support monies. That being said, the labor component now required to build houses under the Housing for All scheme, to cater to Ukrainian housing needs and to provide a retrofitting program is not available in the state at present, minister. This fact must be recognised and policy decisions must take account of it. In addition, as you know, public contractors are presently refusing to quote for a large number of public sector bills. This is because of the onerous nature of the contracts and the inability of contract programs to allow any adequate contingency or variation clauses. This, minister, is a significant reality that government procurement is going to have to step up to and meet. If I can reference Walford again under the affordable scheme, the minister has put a threshold of €250,000 under the affordable housing program. This is completely at odds with the prevailing market and the reality of building costs in Walford presently. In order for the local authority to deliver any house under this scheme, it will have to be at least €325,000. I have discussed this repeatedly with the minister. Without action, with respect to moving the support level from where it is at present, nothing will be provided under the affordable scheme in Walford Minister. Just to wrap up, Minister Ireland has ranked Long as one of the most generous peoples in the world. And yet again, we are stepping up. We are providing support for those who need it most. Our response has been magnificent to date. But if this war drags on, we will be called on to show continuous solidarity and generosity to Ukraine. We must not forget what is happening in Ukraine today and that it could happen at any future point to Ireland, but for the kindness of strangers and the solidarity of our friends and neighbours. Let no one say of us that when we were needed, we were not there. That has never been the history of this country or its people and must never be. Regardless of the trials and tribulations it may bring to our shores, we must persevere. Ireland has always shone brightest in the darkest hours before the dawn. Let us continue to be a beacon for those who are fleeing for their lives and for their children's lives from the war zones in Ukraine. I'm okay. I'm okay.