Accommodation Needs of Those Fleeing Ukraine: Statements
Dail Éireann — 2022-05-05
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Réada Cronin (SF), Kildare North

I have also met Ukrainians in Naas and the local communities have been exceptional in their welcomes. There have been bring and buy sales and many people across my constituency have welcomed these people. I also know from my dealings with the Irish Red Cross that its staff are working their fingers to the bone. It is important that we get this right. If the Irish Red Cross needs extra help and resources, it is important that they are given to it. Vulnerable people coming here must be provided with a roof over their heads through the proper channels. This is so important because not everybody has good intentions.
One thing we are not happy about is how the highly controversial company Aramark is managing to get another ride on the public money merry-go-round to provide meals to another group of fragile people coming to us. There are serious questions in the public mind about the services they provide to direct provision. How did this happen? Why was the process skipped? There are serious questions to answer here. I hate it when I see reference made to "feeding people". We feed animals and we provide meals to people. Those meals are supposed to be nourishing, appetising, well thought out and well presented to human beings, not least human beings who have been traumatised. I would like to ask the Minister on what evidence of it providing this service was this company chosen again? To me, it beggars belief.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2022-05-05/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:50:24+00:00
Sitting date: 2022-05-05