Debate contribution: Housing: Refugees
Debate contribution by Ms Michelle O'Neill on .
- MLA
- Ms Michelle O'Neill
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 8 April 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Housing: Refugees
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4481300
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I concur with the issues that the Member has raised. It is really important for governance that we listen to people who are living through that experience, especially to those on the ground who are helping them every day. I welcome the work that is being done, but I also recognise that there is more to be done. While it is not a devolved issue per se, some issues fall into our responsibility, so we have to make sure that we do the right things. That is why I welcome the fact that we plan to bring a final refugee integration strategy to the Executive in the coming months. Work has been going on to align the draft strategy to make sure that we enhance the support for refugees and asylum seekers. No doubt we will want to talk about that more in the time ahead. That also includes making sure that we have the right governance structures in place. I welcome the fact that we now have more stakeholder engagement and that more people are able to bring their issues of concern to the table. We then discuss the issues and work out how we can lobby on them. We should always have an open mind over whether something is not right and then try to fix it. That is the approach that we take in TEO.
228 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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