Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a couple of points. The big one is on the fabulous work that has been done. The reports are fairly in-depth. The one about living in lockdown was quoted in the media back in March. It is Dr. Muldoon’s own quote to the effect that children in lockdown are living in “low-level melancholy”, with a lack of joy in their lives. It is a damning indictment of what should not have happened to those who come from stressful life, wherever it is in the world. There should be an onus on us to have people welcomed, to have respect, to respect their dignity, and respect everything about them as human beings. I read the other report, which was also a in-depth report but it was simplified. It was an ideal report because when it is easy reading, it is easy soakage. Once it is easy soakage, it is there.

On the point that people have been reluctant to complain, the thought of having five or six people in one room for a week is hard enough, never mind for months upon months. It is an indictment of what should not be happening. One part of the report stated that one centre found that some members had not even been vetted properly for working with children. It is ludicrous that in 2021 that this was allowed to happen.

I have two questions. Does Dr. Muldoon have a wish list for three demands that could be made now and that should be acted on? He is talking about things improving in 2024. What will be happening for the next three years? Will people still be living in one room? Will they still be afraid to complain? The mental torture within the system between the family unit and individuals must be off the Richter scale. As parents they see their own children suffering but it is as though they have been removed from the steering wheel of a car. They are now sitting in the passenger side, someone else has the steering wheel and they have no control over it. There must be an unbelievable amount of stress put on everybody in there. I have worked with other people and I have spoken to a couple of volunteers who work in some of these centres. They have major issues in some places if they do complain, especially if it is about a mental health episode. It is the typical Irish way; when the individual or group comes back into that setting, everything is brushed under the carpet. If they do not keep quiet, they will be punished further That is not the right way to treat people. The witnesses mentioned the Children First course. I did it online in 2018. I would have thought that it would have been a statutory obligation for anybody working with in direct provision, never mind working with children. It bewilders me.

People have a perception that people living in direct provision are scroungers and they should not be here. That is wrong. This is why these committee meetings, especially public meetings, are so important. The witness’s reports have made many findings. They have been strong and straight on it. If people knew what was happening, they would be more understanding towards what is actually happening and what people should be doing. I will again ask for a wish list of three measures that could change things immediately. To those who are listening to this meeting, I ask that you put yourself and your own family in that position for a week, never mind for months, and see how you would feel. These people are willing to work. Many of them are well educated and others are not. It depends on where they come from.

However, they all seem to be tarred with the one brush. It is not fair.

I congratulate the witnesses. Keep at it because we need the truth to be told. One of the most difficult things to do in this State is help people to tell the truth.