Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The committee is in public session. The committee is sitting today in its capacity as Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions. I remind members, witnesses and those in the Public Gallery that all mobile telephones must be switched off, as they interfere with the broadcasting system.

I am pleased to welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, who has responsibility for new communities, culture and equality. I thank him for taking time out of his busy schedule to be present today. I am sure members will be very interested to hear his views on the direct provision system and the progress of the report on direct provision.

Members agreed as part of the 2014 work programme that there was merit in conducting focused work that would address in a determined manner how the direct provision system worked, the extension of the remit of the Ombudsman to cover all aspects and bodies associated with the direct provision system and the extension of the remit of freedom of information legislation to cover all aspects and bodies associated with the direct provision system, including all the suppliers of goods and services whether from the private or public sector. The work of the joint committee commenced on 22 October 2014 with public hearings at which the joint committee invited the Irish Refugee Council, Anti-Deportation Ireland, Doras Luimní and SPIRASI to address members. It was subsequently agreed that members should visit four direct provision centres and, on 27 January 2015, a delegation visited the Great Western House direct provision centre in Galway city and the Mount Trenchard direct provision centre, County Limerick. On 10 February 2015, a delegation visited the Mosney direct provision centre in County Meath and, on 26 February 2015, we visited the Clondalkin Towers direct provision centre in Clondalkin, County Dublin.

The hearings with the Irish Refugee Council, Anti-Deportation Ireland, Doras Luimní and SPIRASI set the scene for members as to issues of concern. The visits to the four direct provision centres crystallised the issues in the minds of those who were part of the delegations. In terms of the report the joint committee will publish, the focus will be on the extension of the remit of the Ombudsman and the extension of the remit of freedom of information legislation to cover all aspects and bodies associated with the direct provision system. We wish to engage with the Minister of State responsible for this area. Given the Minister of State's work and initiatives, both policy and legislative, that are in train, it was agreed in the context of the committee's report that it would be important to have an exchange of views with the Minister of State responsible. In was in this context that an invitation was issued to the Minister of State, which he accepted. I am, however, aware that the chief executive officer of the Irish Refugee Council, Ms Sue Conlan, resigned from the working group on the asylum seekers issue. At the time the invitation issued, it would have been impossible to agree with the Minister of State that an unexpected, sudden resignation from the working group would be an agenda item. Accordingly, I am sure as a practising politician, the Minister of State will understand that, while I will keep the focus on extending the remit of the Ombudsman and on freedom of information legislation, I will allow members to put questions on breaking news, a position the Minister of State will understand, and will give him an opportunity to update the committee.

I invite the Minister of State to make his opening statement.