The Minister made the announcement after meeting the families at the Ozone Centre at Ormeau Park this afternoon.
The Minister also spoke over the phone with the Romanian General Consul in London, Dr Mihai Delcea. He has agreed to meet with Margaret Ritchie in the morning to discuss the plight of the people
Margaret Ritchie said: “My main concern is ensuring everyone has a roof over their heads tonight. I empathise with the plight and trauma these families are experiencing and I believe it is our duty to help them. I will ensure they are provided with temporary accommodation until we can fully assess their housing needs.”
“I have spoken this afternoon with Dr Mihai Delcea, the Romanian General Consul in London and he has agreed to an urgent meeting with me tomorrow morning. I have also spoken with the PSNI who have assured me of a police presence at the temporary accommodation for tonight. This is reassuring for these displaced Romanian people.
“I utterly condemn this spate of racist attacks on these Romanian families. Their plight has been projected all over the world for everyone to see and it is totally unacceptable in this day and age.”
Concluding, Margaret Ritchie said: “I want to promote a shared future for everyone in Northern Ireland. The diversity of everyone living here must be embraced and we should welcome the contribution Europeans bring to this island. I have no doubt the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland deplore this kind of ‘ethnic cleansing’ and it’s important that leadership from within all sections of government do everything they can to encourage a shared future for all. This temporary accommodation will help in some ways to achieve that.”
Notes to Editors:
- The Housing Executive will assess the needs of all the families as quickly as possible after re-housing.
- Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078. Out of office hours please contact Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715440 and your call will be returned.
