Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Okay, although it is not the job of the committee to be in agreement with any body that comes before it in such a process. I revert to the issue raised by Deputy Mary Lou McDonald to flag it with Ms O'Reilly because members would like to read her material and there might be no harm in her reading our material also. In our draft report we are extremely conscious of the concerns about refugee management and the whole asylum seeking process. One comment that has been made is that this could be a Magdalen laundries story in the making, in that in 20 years' time we will be reading back on how things have happened now. However, to remind members, the joint committee's draft report on this matter contains five specific recommendations. One concerns the Reception and Integration Agency and how it functions should come under the freedom of information legislation because many private contractors are operating under its aegis. As they are performing the food and security operations, their terms of reference and contracts should be brought under the scheme. In addition, information has been placed before members to the effect that there is no database of how many refugees or asylum seekers have died. As regards the children or siblings of people who have died here, there are questions about the burial arrangements made and whether such persons are buried here or whether the remains are repatriated to the country of origin. I do not believe this information is available either, which is upsetting for family members who find they have a relative in Ireland and wish to ascertain where the remains are.

We are seeking to have the freedom of information legislation applied to the Garda National Immigration Bureau and the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service.

One must also consider aspects of direct provision systems as covered by the FOI legislation. I include the supply of goods and services. Who has the potato contract? Ultimately, it is believed the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner is no longer exempt from the FOI requirements. This is an area in which this committee is possibly in agreement with the general tone of what was said by the Office of the Information Commissioner.