McEntee in firing line over accommodation of migrants

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said the Government is doing "everything it can" to put a roof over the heads of people seeking International Protection, but said women and children needed to be prioritised.

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, the Meath East TD said she would not describe decisions not to house men in some locations where local protests took place as a reversal by the Government.

"There's not a single one of us that wants to see a person on the street in a tent or without a roof over their heads. But we have always said that we will prioritise women and families, but it's becoming more and more challenging to house people in general."

She described the situation of trying to find accommodation for those coming into Ireland seeking International Protection as a "fast moving environment" and "those of us who are working on it on a daily basis can say that it changes literally on a daily basis".

High-profile protests outside buildings in Ballinrobe and Carlow where it was proposed to house 50 male migrants resulted in announcements that families would be housed there instead, leading to further criticism of the Government's handling of the situation.

Ms McEntee said the Government has been very clear that women and children must be prioritised, which does mean "that there are male applicants where we cannot provide housing. And I don't want that situation to be the case. I don't think any of us want that".

Minister McEntee said there has been a threefold increase in people seeking international protection here and around 100,000 people have been housed, including Ukrainian refugees and people in direct provision.

She said millions of people are on the move around the world, adding that "this is a global problem, this is not just Ireland. It's not a temporary problem. We need to be able to respond more permanently."

Asked on Morning Ireland about suspected arson attacks on building earmarked to house IP applicants, the minister said: "These are deplorable acts and let's not legitimise them. Let's not say that it's lack of communication. It's lack of engagement, it's lack of anything. These are criminals, they're criminal acts. They have to be treated as such."

Ms McEntee said there are certain counties have taken a higher intake of refugees and IP applicants "and communities have been extremely welcoming".

She said the Government is "doing everything that we can to house people in the most appropriate way within communities, where we support communities where we have services, where we have resources, we are responding to a significant challenge.

"But I believe that we are doing so in the most appropriate way. And I think that communities for the most part have supported, have worked with us, have gotten on board and yes, they have questions and concerns and it is our job to try and respond to those as effectively as possible."