Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will focus on a number of issues. I have been on trips to some of the centres. Many issues were raised concerning the system's oversight, which was the initial reason for this meeting. The Ombudsman also raised issues. We have received interesting presentations. For example, Doras Luimní highlighted how social services had been alerted to more than 1,500 child protection or welfare concerns in the past five years relating to young people living in asylum centres. Authorities had been alerted to numerous cases of inappropriate sexual contact between adults and young children. Children are sharing bathrooms with unrelated adult men and women. Children and teenagers share bedrooms with their entire families. Children are often exposed to violent and sexual behaviour. Long stays can lead to poor mental health and psychological development issues. Living in confined spaces, a lack of fresh, nutritious food, no child benefit for asylum seeker children and witnessing and fearing deportations harm psychological development. The Minister of State is aware of the large number of issues involved, but it is important that we put them on the record as having been raised with us.

The sense that I get from most of the speeches on direct provision that I have heard from the Minister of State and his predecessor is that, if we sort out the length of time people stay in the system, the issues will be solved. After visiting the centres, I beg to differ. Does the Minister of State agree that direct provision is inappropriate as a system of housing people who are seeking asylum? The system is exacerbating people's difficulties, causing institutionalisation and creating a situation that is not healthy for the people living within it. Therefore, the system needs to be overhauled and rethought.