Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Private Members' motion and thank the Members of the Technical Group for raising a subject that could easily be pushed into the background and lost in the heat of other matters that come before this House and are of a more pressing nature.

In 1999, I was a new councillor and, like Deputy Byrne, we were on the newly formed Eastern Regional Health Authority when the direct provision system was introduced. It was brought in at that time because of an influx of asylum seekers into Ireland as the UK changed its rules on how asylum seekers were supported and treated.

Deputy Anne Ferris mentioned the matter on a European scale. The common travel area means that people can move freely between Ireland and Britain. We do not have a harmonised system across the EU so people can decide where they feel they might have the best opportunity as asylum seekers. The system therefore needs to be harmonised.

No matter what level or standard of accommodation is provided for asylum seekers, they are in limbo and will not stay there forever. At least, they should not expect to do so. The issue is how swiftly they can be processed through the initial asylum assessment, in addition to legal challenges which do occur more often than not. All those factors have to be addressed.

I welcome the fact that on being appointed, the Minister of State, Deputy Ó Ríordáin, visited some of the centres to see for himself the standards involved. The Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, has done likewise. Those in receipt of direct provision deserve better. I agree with Deputy McDonald on the issues of procurement and tendering. If current provisions for these people are not up to standard then providers, who are being paid for this service, should not be reconsidered. We have had no quality evaluation of how these centres are run. Some are good while others are bad. Some of the smaller ones seem to be better run than the others.

We are still faced with the issue of the length of time that people stay in these centres. We must address that matter. I hope the initial steps taken by the Minister and Minister of State will continue, so that a solution can be found. I agree with Deputy Anne Ferris that simply adopting this motion would only provide another sticking plaster, while not addressing the issue in its entirety.

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