Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I will be brief. I thank the three speakers for their contributions which were very interesting. I totally agree with Ms Deirdre Malone that prison should be a last resort, but it is a fact that it is necessary from time to time for people who are classified as children to be detained for their own and for society's protection. That said, I agree that should not be in a normal prison. While I welcome the provision of the new facilities in Oberstown, I would like the capacity of the facilities to match the need, which is not the case at present. Young people should not find themselves in an adult prison. Anybody who has occasion to visit a prison knows what a traumatic effect it has on people visiting a prison and one can imagine the effect it has on a person who finds himself or herself incarcerated there. Hopefully, we will never find that out.

Under Article 13 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, does Dr. Thornton believe that aliens have the same rights as residents and citizens? Could he enlighten us as to how many people currently are in the direct provision system and what that costs the State in monetary terms? I thank the delegates for their contributions.