Labour leader Ivana Bacik TD has called on the government to implement a “NPHET-style approach” to accommodating refugees, and criticised Ministers for not doing enough to accept asylum seekers from abroad.
The comments came after Ireland was forced to pay €1.5 million to the European Union for failing to adequately house a number of asylum seekers who had entered the state.
“Cabinet is set to sign off on a €1.5 million pay off as a result of our failure to provide adequate accommodation for people fleeing atrocities,” Bacik said, adding that it was “shameful” that the government was not doing more to help migrants.
Taoiseach must lead out on refugee accommodation – @ivanabacik
❝We saw the power of the State during Covid to mobilise. It’s time for a NPHET-style approach to providing housing for refugees. We need to hear from the Taoiseach immediately.https://t.co/W1LduzMrBd pic.twitter.com/KQfrqGr7oW
— The Labour Party (@labour) June 8, 2023
“We need to see a more strongly coordinated response from Government on this,” she said.
“We saw the power of the State during Covid to mobilise. It’s time for a NPHET-style approach to providing housing for refugees.”
Previously in 2021, Bacik praised the world’s lockdown response to Covid, saying that a similar “radical” approach should be taken towards other issues, such as climate change.
“There is real urgency regarding this issue,” she said, referring to climate change.
“It is the sort of urgency that characterised the responses of governments around the world to the Covid-19 crisis. We do not, however, see that sort of radical response being characteristic of governments around the world when it comes to climate change.”
Bacik went on to assert that to deal with global issues, “we must see strong action from states and governments,” adding that “If any positive can be taken from the pandemic, it is that it has showcased the value of state intervention.”
The Labour Party repeatedly called for “Zero Covid” policies to be implemented during the pandemic, which would still see Ireland under Level 5 lockdown to this day if they had been pursued.
We need a National Aggressive Suppression Strategy — @alankellylabour and @geraldnash launching our motion to be taken in the Dáil tomorrow on adopting a #zerocovid approach
We don’t have a coherent strategy from the government
Find out more here: https://t.co/hYJVUDAWyx pic.twitter.com/Fb3MlyZkhd
— The Labour Party (@labour) February 9, 2021