John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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33. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to detail what current communications plan is in place in respect of the IPAS accommodation crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26299/24]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Minister to give detail on the current communications plan when it comes to engaging with public representatives and members of the community about the provision of IPAS accommodation. Communication has been lacking and this has caused a lot of concern and anger in communities. What is the current communications plan for the provision of IPAS accommodation?

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Ireland and many other European countries continue to experience a significant increase in people seeking international protection. The arrival numbers remain significantly elevated. In the first 23 weeks of 2024, more than 9,000 people arrived in Ireland seeking accommodation from the State, an average of 394 people per week.

This is more than five times the average for the period 2017 to 2019. Government is working to ensure an integrated approach to communications and community engagement and to deepen the understanding of all aspects of migration in the Irish context. Communicating with local communities and the public at large requires a series of multifaceted approaches. I understand a national communications plan is being developed and led by the Department of an Taoiseach. My Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has responsibility for community engagement. As the Deputy will be aware, a community engagement team has been established to engage directly with elected representatives, relevant local authorities, local development companies, and other entities and individuals. The purpose of the team is to improve the flow of information regarding arrivals into areas and to help equip local communities with the accurate information required to help them understand the current situation and to assist with the welcome and integration process for new arrivals. This team has been operating since October 2023. It consists of a national lead on civic engagement, two additional team members to support the on-the-ground engagement and a small administrative team.

The CET is activated for openings which need additional support. The openings which the team support can also be selected if requested by a public representative or a local community leader and when it is deemed appropriate. It is acknowledged that different sites will have different requirements, and this approach, while offering a standard process for engagement and communication, can be adapted depending on specific circumstances. To date, the CET has issued 79 detailed briefing notes to stakeholders and has actively engaged on 52 open or proposed accommodation centres. The work of the CET is supported by a whole-of-government approach, engaging with sectors and providers nationally and locally to respond to some of issues raised by local communities.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State. That does not really answer the question. It probably raises more questions and concerns about a comprehensive communication plan which he seems to bat over to the Department of the Taoiseach. The need for a proper and comprehensive communication plan is something I have raised consistently. This is something we were told was being worked on 12 months ago. It was supposed to have been brought before Cabinet back in February and we are now being told by the Minister of State that this is still being worked on by the Department of the Taoiseach. We need clarity here. There is a communication plan or there is not. As I see it, there is no communication plan. There is no plan full stop. However, the critical part is engaging with communities and that has failed dismally. Public representatives have been lied to regarding the provision of IPAS accommodation and have been given half-truths, mistruths and total untruths. Communities feel abandoned by the lack of communication. It is one thing coming in retrospectively to tell them what is happening in their community, but that engagement needs to start from day one and that is seriously lacking.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Go raibh maith agat, a Theachta.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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Is there a plan, at the Department of the Taoiseach level or at any level?

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I want to push back on the Deputy's assertion that people are being lied to or are being told mistruths and untruths. It is very problematic and, frankly, it feeds the people who are spreading lies. What the Deputy said is simply not true.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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It is true.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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It is not.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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When we have information that is available to share, we share it. These are fluid circumstances. Sometimes circumstances change regarding capacity, in what the provider is able to do and as to what we are able to tell people. There are fluid circumstances. We have unaccommodated people. We are trying to move as quickly as we can. The problem with that is when we give people information as soon as we can, the process can change. As we are telling people information early, the situation very often changes. If we were to wait until everything was lined up, perfect and done, it would be weeks into the process and we would be accused of not telling people early enough. The fact is, we are telling people early and the reason people are not getting everything they want is because it is at an early stage. We can only tell people a certain amount when the process has started.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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The lack of a comprehensive communication plan is fanning the flames of hate and resentment being led by right-wing people exploiting the vacuum that the Minister of State and the Government have created because it is not putting out the accurate information. We see an analysis was carried out by Sky News on foot of a recent protest. A total of 56% of the online content originated in the US, 20% in Ireland and 10% in Britain. There was no strategy there from the Department and the Government to counter that. Public representatives such as me are being lied to and have been lied to by the Department regarding the provision of accommodation where bulldozers were on the site in my constituency stripping back topsoil and putting down hardcore and members of the community and I were being told no decision had been taken on that specific site. I have a role. I want to play a role in bringing communities with us, but when that information is not there and there is no comprehensive communication strategy with communities or public representatives, it makes my job very difficult if not impossible-----

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Thank you, Deputy. Time is up.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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-----and that is a failure of this Government and that of the Minister.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I again refute the word "lie". The Deputy was not lied to. What happens is, because these situations are fluid and because we move early, that information can change. What little bit of knowledge I have of the situation to which he refers, information changed and was not communicated in a way it should have been. That is very different from being lied to. Members of the CET are trying their best. When they get information, they communicate it out as best they can, but as I said, situations change very often. I totally respect that the Deputies have a job to do as well and I thank them and councillors for showing leadership at a local level in bringing the community along. We do our best to get information out as quickly as possible. The core issue remains in that we have to move fast, and in those fast-moving situations, the facts can change regularly.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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Is there a communication plan at any level?

Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Ceann Comhairle)
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Please, Deputy.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I can only talk about the community engagement team and how it is working. It is working very well because there are lots of places opening and there is not an issue because the information is getting out. It has not worked perfectly everywhere but we are learning as we go along and it is improving.