Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that immigration numbers have risen too quickly in Ireland.
Speaking to the University of Notre Dame’s college newspaper during a visit to the United States last weekend, Mr Varadkar stressed although a majority of Irish people believe immigration had brought benefits to the country in recent years, people are also “right” to think that numbers have risen too quickly.
In the interview, Mr Varadkar warned against rising populism and prejudice in parts of Irish society but conceded immigration had proved to be a huge challenge for Irish society.
“The majority of people think that the numbers have been too big in recent years, and they’re right. A country of five million people seeing its population rise by 2 per cent a year, which is what’s happening at the moment, is too fast,” he said before taking part in a debate with former Democratic Congressman Joe Kennedy during his visit to the university.
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Mr Varadkar also called on his successor, Simon Harris, to call a general election “sooner rather than later”, saying that Mr Harris should not let the polls “get to his head, as they could easily change”.
Six months after his resignation, Mr Varadkar was asked by the Observer newspaper if he had made the right decision. “[It] was really a political calculation that my party had a better chance of doing better with a new leader,” he said.
“Because people who had maybe got sick of us or sick of me would look at the party again and would consider us again. And that seems to be working and working well, really in large part, because of the energy and enthusiasm of [Simon Harris],” he said.
Mr Varadkar’s comments on immigration come amid renewed discussion about its relationship to difficulties in the housing sector.
Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien said on Monday immigration was “a factor” contributing to the number of homeless people in emergency accommodation.
Mr O’Brien backed the position of Mr Harris, who faced Opposition criticism last weekend when he suggested immigration levels were having a “real impact” on homeless numbers.
Describing homelessness as “complex”, Mr O’Brien said one factor was “an increase in the last three months particularly” of single people leaving direct provision and entering State emergency accommodation. However, this was not the only factor. “It can be relationship break-up, it can be in relation to notices to quit in the private sector,” Mr O’Brien said.
[ Fact check: Are immigration and homelessness figures linked?Opens in new window ]
The Minister said the State had a “moral duty” to support people with emergency accommodation.
The Ukraine crisis has put further pressure on services, with data published by The Irish Times on Friday showing the number of private individuals hosting Ukrainian refugees has quadrupled from just over 4,000 at the start of last year to more than 16,000 now, with costs rising to €13 million a month.
Concerns have been raised this week that the accommodation recognition payment (ARP), worth €800 per month tax-free to hosts, is reducing the supply of rental accommodation, particularly in regions where rents are typically below €1,600 a month.
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