Dr. Geoffrey Shannon:

We have a number of options. For example, we can decide to allow those seeking asylum to access the normal State supports. The numbers have decreased significantly. As a nation, are we going to extend the hand of generosity to these people? They do not arrive here lightly - some of them have come from horrendous war-torn areas and have been subjected to horrendous abuse. Would it not be a great thing if our society was to go the extra mile and say that we care for these people? I include the parents in this regard but I am primarily concerned about the 1,700 children who have to live in this type of environment. That is why I have suggested we should examine what we are spending on the system. I do not deny that the Department of Justice and Equality has a difficult job in terms of maintaining borders and all of that. I am conscious that there are competing interests. I wonder whether there is a better way of dealing with this. When one reads the summaries of the cases of children who happened to arrive into the care system as a result of one of their parents being unable to parent properly, one wonders whether we should be doing better for these children. That is really what I am saying.