Motion: Addressing the Impact of Illegal Immigration in Northern Ireland

That this Council notes the Prime Minister's plans to reduce the number of people migrating to the United Kingdom legally; regrets, however, the Government's continuing failure to meaningfully address illegal immigration, including through measures that apply equally across the United Kingdom; expresses alarm that the estimated cost of accommodation for asylum seekers in Northern Ireland has risen to £400m, four times the original estimate, according to the National Audit Office (NAO); is concerned that, increasingly, this is placing unsustainable pressures on basic services, including access to GP's, Dentists and the provision of school places; further notes the link between illegal immigration, increased demand for housing, and the proliferation of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO's); calls on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to write to the Minister for Infrastructure to review the effectiveness of the current legislation for HMOs and to clarify what mechanisms exist for the Department or a local authority to place additional restrictions on the approval of HMOs.