Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Those are the cold figures. Even though what is being provided by the city council is not still acceptable, the point is that people can walk out their doors and access facilities in the city centre. People in Mosney are a long way from accessing any type of facilities for their day-to-day lives. Last year, the State paid €43.5 million to eight direct provision operators. Mosney was one of the biggest, and received €7 million. The point is that it is big business. I note the point made by Mr. Waters in terms of what was spent in Dublin as well.

Another point was touched on in terms of the low level of complaints. The Comptroller and Auditor General referred to that as well. Does Mr. Waters believe there is a problem in this regard? I know a lady in the camp in Mosney, Ms Khumalo, who is a former sportsperson of the year from Zimbabwe. She is living with her ten year old daughter, Ivana, in a small house in Mosney. She said that when she got there, she did not really care where she stayed. She simply wanted safety and that direct provision did not define who she was. She also said that it defines the Irish protection system towards asylum seekers and how it perceives the people as economic migrants, of second-class nationality and opportunists. She did not want to give out. She had positive energy towards bettering her life, rather than complaining about the direct provision system and possibly transforming and developing her life. She is beginning a course in legal studies at Drogheda Institute of Further Education. I know people in the Louth Meath Education and Training Board are dealing with the education facilities. How much is being invested in the educational facilities aspect? I know this is of interest to people in my constituency.