Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The right to work, as the Minister of State is well aware, is a fundamental demand made by asylum seekers and those who support and advocate for them. It has been for a long time. The indignity of not being allowed to work and simultaneously being accused of somehow sponging off the system, becoming a target for all sorts of racist abuse by a certain element of society, is utterly unacceptable. Asylum seekers want to contribute and they do not want to be dependent if they do not have to be. They want to contribute and work and they want the dignity that comes with it. For so many years, so many asylum seekers have been denied that, which is one of the great scandals. It is a failure to date in the asylum process.

In the best of all possible worlds, and even if the resources existed and worked absolutely smoothly, there would always be a delay. The idea that we will have a six-month process immediately after the passing of the Bill stretches credibility. Even if we reach it at some point relatively soon - Deputy Pringle has indicated there is reason to doubt that the resources exist for this - there will always be the potential for delay. Most people would say that delays are likely, as events have a way of going past the hoped for periods for processing these applications as envisaged by the Bill. The Minister of State should accept this amendment as he knows how fundamental it is. It is a big omission in the Bill.

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