Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for joining us today and apologise for being delayed coming into the hearing. I was speaking in the Dáil and the schedule ran late. I have read the submissions and statements and listened to some of the debate. I thank the witnesses for the insights. It is useful and valuable for us to hear directly about the experiences of migrant communities in engaging with State bodies and public services and I commend the witnesses on the work they do. I have worked with Mr. Killoran on the Immigrant Council of Ireland over many years and it has been a pleasure to work with him on many issues.

How can we, as legislators, best support those individuals and organisations which are drawn from migrant backgrounds and new communities and are keen to get politically involved? I have worked for many years with AkiDwA, which is a wonderful organisation, established by women who had originally come to Ireland from Africa and has done a great deal to change and move policies forward on a range of issues. The value and strength of AkiDwA is it is women's voices from communities and nobody is speaking for individuals, which is very important. I wonder how we can support other organisations such as that in coming forward.

There is a gendered dimension of experiences of those from new communities. From my work with AkiDwA and Mr. Killoran on the Immigrant Council of Ireland and the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland, I am conscious we see particular issues arising for women, as a result of reproductive health issues and experiences around female genital mutilation, on which we have brought forward legislation. I am conscious they are particular issues and it can also be more difficult to hear voices from women from disadvantaged backgrounds and communities, including migrant communities.

My background is as a practising barrister. In the past, I represented children, unaccompanied minors who had come to Ireland with substantial needs. How can we intervene to support those who have come here unaccompanied and are, therefore, particularly vulnerable in terms of their accommodation, education and so on? What can we do about that?

I appreciate what Mr. Neenan said about the contribution migrant communities make. My own grandfather was a migrant from what was then Czechoslovakia. He came to Ireland in 1946 and re-established Waterford Glass after the Second World War. Many people from different backgrounds make considerable contributions when they come to Ireland bringing knowledge and experience. We need to celebrate that and ensure it is spoken of as positively as possible at every opportunity.