Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have three quick questions for each group before I let in anybody else. Can Ms Gibney or one of the representatives of IHREC advise on why momentum to implement the recommendations set out in the White Paper seems to be slipping? Second, who decides if an asylum seeker is vulnerable?

Over the past month, the world has been watching while the citizens of Afghanistan have become subject to the Taliban again. Every one of us, I would say, has been heartbroken to hear accounts of how the rights of women and children are being eroded again and they are being denied education and freedom. When a child under the age of 12 manages to flee to a safe haven and apply for asylum, we can only imagine the emotional damage they are suffering.

Can the witnesses outline to us the suite of supports that should be there for a child and his or her family in the ideal system? Could they describe the ideal process that would be involved in progressing them through the international protection system from the moment they arrive?

Does Mr. Kirwan believe that all asylum seekers should be provided with legal supports as soon as they enter the country? What other ancillary services are lacking under the Legal Aid Board scheme? He said that the fees paid are inadequate given the volume and complexity of the work involved in protection cases. He also mentioned that without proportionate fees, lawyers with the appropriate skills may not get involved. With all this in mind and given the fact that there are 4,430 applications awaiting interview, is a lack of available legal representation contributing in any away to the backlog?