Ms Sophie Magennis:

From a domestic point of view, the members have raised an important question about the broader picture. We need to raise awareness in Ireland about who these people are and try to allay any fear that some might have about any expectation that Ireland will take everyone who needs to come here. We have put in place a few initiatives, the most recent being the special Mediterranean initiative, which sets out a number of principles. Given what is happening in the Mediterranean, the most important principle is search and rescue. Ireland is making a significant contribution to that. Seeing Irish sailors saving women and small children who are in peril at sea is helping people at home to understand and feel connected to what is happening. Ireland is responding to this first and most immediate principle.

There are interim and longer-term measures. We are clear that, in the long term, there is no humanitarian solution to these crises. There must be political solutions. We are calling on all political actors to engage and try to resolve the conflicts that are at the source of this flow of persons. I am referring to the old conflicts that are rumbling on without solution in Somalia, Eritrea and the Democratic Republic of Congo, more recent conflicts and the failed states issue. The High Commissioner, Mr. António Guterres, has been forthright in his statement to the effect that the international community is not responding and there are problems in international global governance and at the highest level within the UN and member states as regards dealing with these situations. He has stated that the UNHCR cannot cope and that the numbers are of such a scale, as Senator Zappone pointed out, that we are struggling. We are calling on states to deal with the conflicts and, as an interim measure, to build capacity where possible in African states in order that people might at least be given some information about matters and anti-trafficking measures might be implemented. A range of measures exist and it is important we get the message across that we are discussing resettling people who are in desperate need while also focusing on solving the reasons for their moving in the first place.

Turning to the point on the number of asylum seekers coming to Ireland, we saw some figures on the front page of today's newspaper. Our understanding is that the figure is approximately 200 people entering Ireland per month, on which basis it would likely be 2,000 this year. It is difficult to predict based on these trends. Although people are coming to Ireland, the number is still very small compared with the European picture of asylum seekers going to various states.

If I were to make one appeal to the committee, it would be about how Ireland still does not have a single procedure for determining claims from people in need of protection. Any asylum seeker coming to Ireland will not get a final decision for years. We have highlighted this problem. The High Commissioner came to Ireland in 2012 and made a similar plea at this committee. I understand that the committee will handle the Bill's pre-legislative scrutiny phase. We made our submission at the end of March. If that legislation progresses and the recommendations of the working group on the protection process, which will be presented to the Minister next week, are adequately resourced, there will be a mechanism to respond to what has been discussed. If people are coming to the State but do not need protection, they can be quickly identified and offered assisted voluntary return. If they fail to take up that offer, they can be removed. The real concern the State should have is not necessarily the numbers coming in but the fact there is no legal framework in place to deal with them.