Mac Lochlainn: Handling of Ukrainian refugee crisis and asylum applications amid defective block disaster in Donegal was ‘absolutely abysmal’
Pádraig Mac Lochlainn has said the handling of the Ukrainian refugee crisis and international protection applications amid the defective block ‘humanitarian disaster’ in Donegal was handled ‘absolutely abysmally’ by the government.
The Buncrana-based TD said the placement of refugees and international protection applicants in inappropriate accommodation in the county ‘disrespected the asylum seekers in terms of their dignity and rights’.
"Two things happened: we had the influx of Ukrainian refugees - there are 10,000 today in Donegal - and then we had the challenge of asylum seekers.
"Those things came one after the other over a number of years, and it was handled absolutely abysmally. There was no consultation with local communities. There was no consultation with health services, schools or public representatives,” Deputy Mac Lochlainn told the Dáil.
The Sinn Féin TD observed that Donegal was in the midst of ‘a profound humanitarian disaster’ caused by the defective concrete blocks with ‘thousands of homes, both private and council homes, are falling apart’.
"We are dealing with all those challenges, and none of that was taken on board,” he remarked.
He asked: “Would you believe that, per capita, Donegal took in more Ukrainian refugees and asylum seekers than any other county in the State?”
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said ‘the vast majority’ of those expressing concerns ‘do not have a racist bone in their bodies’, adding that ‘it certainly was not in the interests of asylum seekers because they were put in the back end of nowhere in some cases, in totally inappropriate accommodation and, indeed, in urban areas in totally inappropriate accommodation’.
He told TDs he believed the best way to ‘defend ourselves from the racists who are out there in this country and who are fomenting hatred is to listen to local communities and treat them with dignity and respect and hear the concerns they have’.
"This is what we need to do, and I am going to say it clearly as a proud left Irish republican. The best way to protect our people from the scourge of ugly racism, indifference and everything that comes with that is to treat working-class communities with respect. It is to engage and consult with them, look at where the most appropriate locations are and have State-provided, State-resourced locations,” he declared.