Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This debate is timely. Gandhi once wrote that the true measure of a society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members. History will not be kind to Ireland when it comes to this period. It will show that we treated some of the most vulnerable people in the most inhumane manner through direct provision. It will show that we, as a society, did not always show humility and, in some instances, were far from welcoming. We have seen examples of full-blown racism at public meetings, from various people and online.

We must remember that asylum seekers are fleeing war, persecution, torture and rape. They do not come to Ireland on holidays. They do not come here for €21.60 per week or to live in shared accommodation, often with strangers. They come here out of necessity and, often, in order to save their lives. I ask Deputies to think back to 2 September 2015, when a three-year-old Syrian boy named Alan Kurdi who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea made global headlines. He was photographed face-down on a beach. We have a moral duty to offer a safe haven and a céad míle fáilte to refugees who, for no reason other than the lottery of birth, must daily deal with the significant challenges they face.

As a country whose citizens' footprints are all over the world, we should know best. We all know how we feel about Irish people who fled the Great Famine. We know how our society and race was denigrated by signs which stated "No Irish welcome here". Surely, we can do better than that. Surely, in a modern society, we can do far better and state that we are an open and welcoming society.

Thankfully, immigration has never been party political issue in Ireland. It should not become one. However, there have been recent attempts, whether deliberate, accidental or clumsy, to dog whistle to those on the right. I salute the efforts of the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, who is present. He is a sincere politician who is trying hard to address these issues. Direct provision is inhumane and far from ideal but, unfortunately, given the current housing crisis, we have no alternative if we are to meet our international obligations. The failings of the Government in respect of the provision of housing is helping to build an unease which we have not seen previously in this country. Some local politicians are exploiting this issue for their own political gain and using it to pit one element of society against another. They are wrong to do so. They should be addressing people's concerns and reassuring communities which are afraid of asylum seekers moving in that things will not be bad but, rather, that people will be accommodated and can integrate into local communities and society.

We need to accelerate the process and shorten the length of time people must stay in direct provision. That issue needs to be addressed.

I refer to Mount Temple Spa. The Minister of State has always been open with me when I have contacted him on that issue. Reference has been made to a lack of services. More than 80 people were moved into a former hotel 7 km outside Moate. No services are available there. There are two shuttle bus services per day but, apart from that, the residents must walk to Moate. There are no footpaths and there is no public lighting on the road. There is no public transport. The Mount Temple, Moate and Rosemount communities have welcomed those people in. The community is doing good but that does not absolve the State of its responsibility to provide better services. I wrote to the National Transport Authority, NTA, and asked it to reintroduce a bus stop at the end of the road leading to the former hotel in order to cater for the asylum seekers. Several buses go up and down the road every day. The NTA stated it was not its responsibility to do so. That is wrong and needs to be addressed. For 18 months, I have continuously raised with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, the need to afford asylum seekers who have a right to work and who wish to work and contribute to society the opportunity to so do. Those in Mount Temple cannot work because there is no public transport to bring them to a place of employment. Many of the residents wish to apply for a driver licence but they are prohibited from so doing. Unfortunately, the Minister, Deputy Ross, has not prioritised the issue. I raised it last week with the Taoiseach. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, to work with his lead Minister, Deputy Flanagan, to ensure that at least we can remove the challenges and obstacles that are in the way of those who wish to integrate and contribute to society.

I appeal to all Members of this House to show leadership in this issue. Where communities are expressing fear and anxiety, instead of stoking those fears and anxieties we should reassure them that we need to fulfil our moral obligation internationally, but also to ourselves as human beings. These people are the most vulnerable people on earth. They deserve respect and deserve to be welcomed.

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