Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)

I commend the clergymen, Residents Against Racism and the Dublin Fire Brigade for the excellent work they have carried out over the four days to ensure the men involved in this protest are looked after as much as possible. Over 40 men and teenagers are engaged in this protest. They are tired, some are very ill and some of them have, regretfully, resigned themselves to their fate. Nobody undertakes a hunger strike lightly, much less sticks with it as long as these men have done, unless he or she is convinced of the correctness and justice of the case.

This protest was brought about by the failure of the asylum system in Ireland to take cognisance of these men's case, the lack of compassion in the system, the prejudicial assumption of illegality against applicants, the blind adherence to the Fortress Europe doctrine and the failure to introduce complementary protections for individuals who fall outside the narrow convention criteria for refugee status but who may still be in grave danger should they be forced to return to their country of origin.

I call on the Minister to declare Afghanistan an unsafe destination, as the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and Defence have done by sending peacekeeping forces there. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform should also declare that nobody who fails his draconian asylum process will be returned to a war zone or an unsafe country. I doubt if Afghanistan makes the dubious EU white list of safe countries. The Minister should either meet the men or send an official from his Department to meet them. They are in his constituency, their case should be listened to and they should be granted the right to remain until, at very least, the ongoing war in Afghanistan ends.

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