Micheal Martin says housing asylum seekers is ‘a collective endeavour’

Tanaiste Minister Micheal Martin has said that finding accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees is “a collective endeavour” by government, as it comes under pressure amid a housing shortage.

When asked whether the Minister for Equality and Integration Roderic O’Gorman, the minister charged with housing and integrating migrants, has the support he needs, Mr Martin said “yes”.

The Foreign Affairs and Defence Minister made the comments as a protest was held outside a hotel in Co Clare in response to over 30 asylum seekers arriving by bus on Monday.

He said that Ireland has accommodated numbers of migrants “over and above” anything since the foundation of the state, but that this has led to “strains and pressures”.

It comes as hundreds of asylum seekers have been left without accommodation due to a severe lack of housing supply in Ireland, resulting in some people sleeping in tents.

The Dail heard on Wednesday that Mr O’Gorman’s Department intends to open 350 additional beds for migrants this week.

“It’s very, very difficult and I think that we must always, in anything we do in our society, have the dignity of the individual and the human being at centre stage, and these are people who have come from very difficult situations, the world is in considerable conflict at the moment, many conflicts all over the world, that’s leading to a lot of migration,” he said.

“We’ve a horrific war on our doorstep in Europe in Ukraine, but apart from that, we have significant additional migration resulting from conflicts all over the world in addition to the impacts of climate change in some parts of the world.

“And that’s evident right across Europe and right across the world, in fact, and Ireland is no different in that respect.

“Now we have accommodated unprecedented numbers this year, over and above anything experienced since the foundation of the state. That has created strains and pressures.

“But I think we need to, as a society, be very clear that many of the people coming forward are not a threat to society or to our communities as sometimes is presented, wrongfully, by some groups.

“And that we have to put the dignity of the individual centre stage, which is part of who we are and what we are and act then accordingly.

“I understand there are pressures, I understand there are concerns.

“We have a duty then in terms of communication in dealing with those concerns, and also in terms of wider issues.

“This is a collective government endeavour, we’re all working collectively with local authorities to do the very best we can in terms of provision of accommodation.”