Carol Nolan challenges hotel use for refugees amid tourism crisis
Carol Nolan criticised the State's reliance on hotels and B&Bs to accommodate applicants for international protection and people fleeing Ukraine, warning it risks creating a domestic crisis. She pressed the minister for details on engagement with tourism representative bodies and for clarity on disputed figures and policy responses.
Main contention
Carol Nolan argued that responding to an international crisis must not create a domestic crisis, saying the use of a vast number of hotels and B&Bs for accommodation is already undermining the tourism sector and local communities.
Tourism sector impact
She cited industry warnings—referencing an Irish Times report on an Irish Tourism Industry Confederation analysis—that the use of tourism beds by the State could cost the sector heavily and damage local spending. Nolan described the takeover of hotels as radically undermining what she called one of the most important economic sectors.
Disputed figures and industry demands
The exchange included a dispute over statistics: Nolan cited figures including 76% of tourist facilities being used and an ITIC-reported figure of almost 22% of tourism accommodation in State use, and said the Irish Hotels Federation supplied the 76% figure. The minister contested some numbers, saying 22-23% of hotel beds are used for Ukraine at present and clarifying how different measures relate to hotels versus all tourist facilities. Nolan asked whether industry calls to reduce the proportion to 12-15% had been communicated to the department.
Government accommodation strategy
The minister described regular engagement with stakeholders and officials, including meetings with the relevant department and Fall to Ireland, and detailed plans to diversify accommodation away from hotels through refurbished buildings, a vacant homes call, and modular accommodation. Officials said those measures are intended to reduce reliance on hotel and B&B provision over time.
Humanitarian context and consequences
Both speakers framed the pressure on accommodation in the context of the war in Ukraine. The minister repeatedly emphasised the humanitarian scale of the crisis in Europe and said the deaths and displacement in Ukraine explain the difficult choices and demand pressures the State faces.
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My position on the issue of housing, those seeking international protection and those fleeing Ukraine has been absolutely consistent and that is that in responding to an international crisis we must not create a domestic crisis. This is clearly what is happening, unfortunately, in relation to the accommodation of applicants in a vast number of hotels and B&Bs throughout this state. I am seeking your views on this particular matter and also the level of engagement that you have had with the representative bodies from the tourism sector. Thanks Deputy, I am very cognisant of the potential impact on the tourism industry arising from the number of contracts my department has entered into to meet our responsibilities to provide accommodation to beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive and international protection. Regular meetings take place between my officials and the relevant department and Fall to Ireland to share learnings to discuss ideas as we continue to respond to the challenge of procuring enough accommodation to meet demand. My department is really grateful to the support of those in this sector in responding to date to the unprecedented challenges. You know that the tourism sector have been magnificent in terms of the support they have offered and communities of course across the country have welcomed those from Ukraine during this time of need. My department is very aware of the concerns shared by some of these communities about the absence of tourism in some areas and now into the future and the consequence of the impact on local spending. To respond to these and other issues we continue to respond to these and other issues we continue to work alongside both Fall to Ireland and the Department of Tourism as part of the whole of government response and ensuring that key stakeholders have a place in terms of the senior officials group and are able to engage with us in terms of our accommodation solutions. Government as you know is committed to delivering accommodation solutions beyond service accommodation including refurbished building strands, the forthcoming new vacant homes call, the delivery of modular accommodation. But of course, and you referenced it yourself, we have to recognise that all of this is happening in the context of war in Europe. In Europe, the biggest humanitarian challenge that Europe has faced since the Second World War, the biggest humanitarian challenge our country has ever faced. And we have to just recognise that even though it might not be top billing on the news every night, six and a half thousand civilians dead in Ukraine, tens of thousands of soldiers dead in Ukraine, 400 children dead in Ukraine, that is why we are experiencing these difficulties and we should always just bear that in mind in terms of our discussions of these issues. Minister, rather than potential issues happening, these are real issues that are already becoming a crisis. I mean, you know, the 76% of hotels are being used and yesterday the Irish Times reported on a report by the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation. And that report states that the tourism industry is warning of a potential one billion cost if refugee numbers in hotels and B&Bs continue to rise. It was also reported that industry will call on government to reduce the 12 to 15%, the proportion of tourism accommodation being used to house refugees from the Ukraine and elsewhere. Has that call been made? And if so, has it been communicated to your department? You have said that there was engagement, so I would like to know if that has happened there, the call. This is an absolute crisis. Real issues are there already, not potential issues, real issues. One of the most, if not the most important economic sectors has been radically undermined by the wholesale takeover of hotels. The report also noted, as reported by the Irish Times, that the Republic is an outlier in Europe in relation to its depth of reliance on tourism beds for refugees and warns that reduced capacity for tourists is damaging the industry. Currently, it says almost 22% of tourism accommodation is used by the state for refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere. The Irish Tourism Industry Confederation wants this cut to 12 to 15%. Would you be in favour of that? Because that is a proportionate response and it is a fair response, Minister. There are limitations to everything, unfortunately. Thank you. Just Debbie, I think at the start of your contribution you said 75% and just that it is 22-23% of hotel beds are used for Ukraine at the moment. What report is that from? That is from the figures that we get from Tourism Ireland, that it is 22-23%. It is not 75%. But in all tourist facilities, the figure that I have is 76% and that relates to all tourist facilities, which would be hotels and V&Bs. That is not accurate. Will you allow the Minister to answer? No, that is fine. I am sorry. I just wanted to tease that out. You are right. It is good that we are clear on these things. Look, there is a challenge for the tourism industry here. I absolutely understand it. We are looking to diversify where we are accommodating Ukrainian displaced persons. That is why we are bringing on modular, that is why we are bringing on vacant homes, that is why we are bringing on the refurbishment of homes. So that will operate to support the diversification and the move away from the reliance on hotel accommodation. And that work is ongoing at the moment. But again, and I just think it is important to remember the reason that this pressure is being put on the tourism sector, and indeed in other sectors, is that women and children are dying in Ukraine on a daily basis. And all over Europe, there is pressure happening as a result of this war. Thank you. Minister. In relation to the figure I gave you there, 76% of all Ukrainian refugees are being accommodated in tourist facilities. That figure was supplied by the Irish Hotels Federation, ITIC, and that is the figure I got, the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation. That is the figures that they apparently supplied. But in relation to the overall point, I mean, do you think it is right that come March the hotel beds and guest accommodation and everything else is going to be needed? So then we have a situation where we could have more people and more than likely will have more people homeless. Now, you are talking about helping people, but I don't think you are helping them if they are going to end up at absolutely nowhere come March. That is not helping people. So, you know, well and good, you can give the political rhetoric and the message about helping, and I am all for helping, by the way. But we are being overrun. The figure is expected to rise to 70,000 refugees by winter. Where are they all going to go? I think we need to get real here. We need to get real. We are all compassionate people here. But we need to get real and there needs to be a sense of proportion and a reasonable response that doesn't create a crisis. And there is a crisis in the making here, Minister. Thank you very much, Deputy. I suppose you ask, it is indicative of the real fears that Ukrainians have that they will make this journey here, irrespective of the uncertainty in terms of the accommodation situation that they will have when they arrive here. But it is indicative of their fears for themselves and their families that they do so, because they are in a wartime situation. There are missiles falling on civilian targets all over Ukraine, and that is why people come here. And that is why people choose, even if they ended up in tentative accommodation in Gormanstown or, you know, sometimes sleeping on camp beds, they still see that as a preferable choice. And we just have to bear that in mind. In terms of that figure, I thought you were saying 75% of all hotel beds were being used. So apologies, I misinterpreted what you said there, apologies for that. But as I said, the figure in terms of the total number of hotel beds is 22, 23%. There is pressure here. Undoubtedly there is pressure, as there is in other parts of society. But there is pressure on every European country deputy right now. And that is that President Putin, Vladimir Putin is using refugees as one of the weapons in his war to try and unsettle us, to try and undermine support for Ukraine. And I don't think we can allow more in that context. President Putin, Vladimir Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin, President Putin,
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