The Cabinet will today be asked to approve a £70 million package aimed at providing accommodation for asylum-seekers, as well as a separate scheme to attract thousands of non-EU skilled workers to the State to fill job vacancies.
At the centre of the refugee plan is a proposal to develop a number of reception centres around the State to cater for up to 6,000 asylum-seekers and the leasing of "flotels" for use as emergency short-term accommodation until the reception centres are ready for occupation.
However, The Irish Times learned last night that several Ministers, including the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, will be seeking strong assurances today on the quality and location of the flotels before they are accepted.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell, made her reservations public last night on the RTE Questions and Answers television programme. She said that flotels were one of a list of options. However, when she was pressed on the matter, she said: "I am not in favour of them".
The Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Mr Martin Cullen, who has expressed his concern at the suitability of putting flotels in Irish ports, especially Waterford, yesterday travelled to Amsterdam to inspect a flotel in use there.
Despite Mr Cullen's concerns, the chief executive of the port of Waterford, Mr John Clancy, said last night that berthing arrangements for a flotel on Waterford's north quays "should not be a major problem".
The asylum plan, which will be outlined to the Cabinet today by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, will also include a proposal to amend immigration legislation to expedite the refugee application process.
A source said that the amendment aimed to ensure that the full application process would in future take no more than six months. Asylum-seekers are waiting in some cases for up to two years for a final decision on their applications.
The Department of Justice has estimated that, with approximately 1,000 asylum-seekers coming into the State every month, accommodation will be required for at least 6,000 people.
It is expected that at least two reception centres will be located in Dublin. Some will be purpose-built, while others will be developed in properties which are to be purchased by the Government.
The proposals to attract skilled immigrant workers to the State to fill job vacancies will be presented to the Cabinet by Ms Harney. She will be seeking approval to target up to 6,000 workers outside the EU annually for the next five years. Her Department will begin with a campaign to attract workers to jobs in the information technology and nursing sectors.
The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said last night that the proposals being put before the Cabinet today were "complex and costly".