Donegal is accommodating more than twice the national average of asylum seekers

Donegal is taking twice the national average of International Protection Applicants, with local Aontú representative Mary T Sweeney saying the current process is “disastrous”.

The figures have been released by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O'Gorman in reply to a parliamentary question from the Aontú’ Leader, Peadar Tóibín TD, with Donegal accommodating 1,641 people seeking asylum.

Donegal is also accommodating 5,259 Ukrainian refugees, 8.9% of the Ukrainian population currently in Ireland.

“The data that Aontú has received also shows a very uneven distribution of asylum seekers throughout the country,” Ms Sweeney said.

“Donegal has received over twice the national average and over six times the levels that counties such as Kilkenny have received for instance. It’s uneven, it’s unbalanced, it’s unfair and it’s unworkable for everybody concerned. The government is trying to ride two horses on this issue and is failing miserably.  

“The government is still refusing to consult with communities in Donegal and across the island, creating information vacuums ripe for rumour. This is not responsible governance. They are refusing to consult with communities and are ducking and diving for cover. That is the plain unvarnished truth.

“While there are of course genuine asylum seekers in dire need of international protection, and we must do our best to accommodate them, thousands are coming to Ireland from other EU countries with no travel documents. This is a fact. It can take six years just to make the initial application decision, never mind the time taken for an appeal. The government needs to speed up the decision-making process - it is not fair on the taxpayer and it is not fair on the asylum seeker stuck in limbo awaiting a decision. 

“Only 15% of people who are given a deportation order ever have it enforced. One of the most serious aspects of this issue is that the government is not even asking the vast majority of asylum seekers how they are getting into the country which means people smuggling is not being tackled”.  

“This is a gross dereliction of duty to all concerned. People smuggling is a vile multi-billion ‘industry’, and our Government doesn’t see fit to try and ascertain how people are getting into Ireland. The smugglers who thrive on the misery of vulnerable human beings must be delighted that Ireland is so easily accessible.

“The cost of the government’s asylum process is ballooning. The latest figures we have, show that there has been an increase of 86% in the annual cost just of the accommodation to €365million euro in 2022. Only €3million of the €50million community dividend fund announced in 2022 has ever been spent and the resources are desperately needed. If you bring people into the country, you must have the services to provide to them, together with the existing communities.

“Most people want to help those who are fleeing violence and war but it’s increasingly clear that people are losing confidence in the government’s asylum process. We absolutely need a compassionate response to those feeling war, but we also need common sense, and that’s completely missing in the government's disastrous process.

“In fact, this Government is doing an absolute disservice to those coming here in need of sanctuary and to those who are already here. They can’t provide an adequate service to anybody; they are an abysmal failure”.