Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations and for the deep and detailed submissions they sent in advance. The committee has covered a lot of ground in the last few weeks and will cover more in the next few weeks. I agree with the witnesses, and I have no doubt, that this is a gross violation of the rights of children and families. It is truly shocking. What we have heard over recent weeks has, for me, been really upsetting, shocking and frustrating.

I want to highlight certain points.

In the context of housing, I have heard two important messages. The first of these is that the responsibility for protection should not fall to the Department of Justice and Equality given that its expertise does not lie in the areas of housing or social care. Second, Ms Finn stated we need to move away from institutionalisation and described the current approach as "out of sight, out of mind", where asylum seekers are isolated and kept at a distance. She suggested that after a short initial period of reception, it would be better to have a form of owned or clustered accommodation embedded in communities. Will she expand on how that might work in practice while ensuring that support and services are available?

An important point made every week is the need for common standards and oversight to prevent abuse. All our guests have suggested HIQA as a suitable body. I have no doubt it is crucial. It is an important recommendation that we as a committee must follow. At a minimum, we need common standards for reception and oversight with teeth to investigate and prevent abuse. If two asylum seekers arrive in Ireland, one may be sent to a centre with cooking facilities, better transport and more space, whereas the other, through no fault of his or her own, may end up in a centre with none of the above. It does not seem right that pure chance is the decider. From Dr. Thornton's presentation, it seems that on a human rights basis, we should ensure that every applicant is treated equally as a baseline and that his or her specific needs or challenges are taken into account. Will Dr. Thornton elaborate on that? If the Chairman allows, I will follow up with further questions after our guests respond.