Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like Deputy Troy who spoke earlier, I acknowledge the Minister of State's approach to dealing with this complex and sensitive issue, which is a major challenge to all of us and to the State. To his credit, the Minister of State has been very measured and compassionate any time I have heard him speak in public.

I want to be associated with the remarks about Deputy Martin Kenny. I said it to him privately yesterday and I want to say it publicly today. I condemn outright the attack on him, his family and his property. What happened to him was outrageous. I admire him for the stand he took, particularly in his own community. I believe he was right and I would support him. I believe he will be proven right in the long term.

This is a very complex issue. As other speakers have articulated, I am very concerned with the tone of the debate and the direction it has taken. Sinister elements are stoking up fears and racism and using hatred to divide communities, which is wrong. We need to meet this head-on. The point has been made repeatedly that the vast majority of people who present on our shores, seeking international protection, are the most vulnerable people who have endured horrendous circumstances, and they are desperate. They are basically reliant on their inherent survival mechanisms to get themselves to a better place and to try to survive as best they can.

The day after the birth of my daughter, our second child, I was in the maternity hospital in Limerick. I had to go downstairs to an office where they had a clinic every afternoon to register births. Sitting in the waiting room, I could not help overhearing a conversation. A 15 year old Somali girl, who had given birth to a child the previous day, was being interviewed by the registrar of births. She detailed how she had been gang-raped by a number of soldiers in her home country and had fled for her life. That is a typical example of many of these people who come to these shores for refuge. Most Mondays in my main clinic I meet people who are in direct provision centres. They come to my clinic for various reasons and I am glad to help them.

I accept the system needs to be modernised and reformed. We have made constructive proposals on the right to work.

That needs to be improved. There are also issues about access to third level education and in respect of the provision for the ombudsman. Naturally we have to have consultation with communities. Many communities have allowed themselves to be highjacked by these sinister forces. We have to accept that we are a multicultural society and embrace these people. We hear so much debate about rural communities dying on their feet but the State could take a constructive approach to dealing with rural communities and engaging with them, showing them the positives there can be if people are placed properly and appropriately in the communities.

Direct provision came upon us in 2000 when the numbers that came in grew exponentially, then they dipped and now they are growing again. The Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, will recall that when we were members of the joint committee on justice, in the previous Oireachtas, we looked at reception centres in Portugal. We need to take a long-term view of this, build proper reception centres and have a proper integration policy for these people. I appeal to communities to be receptive and compassionate and to look at the positives, engage and use their public representatives to help with the consultative process. It is very refreshing that following the last local and European elections a significant number of what I would respectfully describe as new Irish were elected to many of our local authorities. Councillor Azad Talukder, a Bangladeshi, was elected to my local council. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae referred to the Bangladeshi community. There were many in different parties. Those people will be very helpful in engaging with their communities. It is right and proper.

The key to this is the timeline for people having their applications processed. That needs to be improved. That is an imperative. The method of communication between the naturalisation and immigration service, in the Department of Justice and Equality, the public representatives, the applicants and their agents, solicitors or advocacy groups, the non-governmental organisations acting on their behalf, needs to improve also because the system has a degree of slowness and lethargy which is adding to the complexities of the issues.

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