Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this debate, as we have all seen the huge international crisis with people fleeing their homes in Syria, Iraq, Libya and throughout the Middle East. To make matters worse, some western governments want to bomb more, kill more innocent people, destroy people's homes and completely destroy innocent lives with their aerial bombings, which ignore the reality on the ground. In this country we have our own cheerleaders, particularly in the Government, who want to make the situation worse.

I raise this in the context of the International Protection Bill, as we all need to support international protection of these refugees. Sitting on the fence should not be an option at a time of international crisis. We should not blame the refugees for the mass murders in Paris, whether they are in Beirut, Iraq or Syria. They are the ones risking their lives to get away from the conflicts and the slaughter. We all need to focus on the real issues and reach out and support these people at risk.

Our history of immigration and asylum is part of who we are, and it is a bit rich and a bit hypocritical to campaign for the illegal Irish in the United States and not do enough in our own country. The Ombudsman for Children, who deals with the welfare and rights of children, said the Bill could be enhanced to help accompanied and unaccompanied children. I strongly support this position.

Many groups have concerns about the Bill. Anti-Deportation Ireland is a national campaign for asylum seekers, and many of those involved are former asylum seekers and their supporters. It opposes the Bill on a number of grounds, not least because it believes the single application procedure being introduced in the Bill will lead to quicker and more frequent deportations from Ireland. Deportation can be a violent and inhumane process which separates families and has directly led to the death of at least one identifiable person, Mohamed Ali Sleyum, who was beaten by police in Tanzania immediately after being deported from Ireland in April 2014.

The Bill is deeply flawed. These flaws can be addressed on Committee Stage and I am highlighting these issues because I would appreciate if the Minister examined them. We need to deal with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission's recommendations on the best interests of the child, unaccompanied minors, family reunification, the assessment of credibility and detention. These are important issues we need to examine in the legislation. I urge the Minister to be more proactive and support the people on the ground.

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