Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an deis caint ar an ábhar seo - soláthar díreach. Ba chóir go mbeadh níos mó plé ar an ábhar agus ba chóir go mbeadh an t-ábhar seo ag barr ár smaointe agus sinn ag plé mí-úsáid agus leatroim stairiúla agus sárú cearta daonna mar atáimid le roinnt seachtainí anuas.

On 10 April 2000, Ireland embarked on a renewed episode of mistreatment of the most vulnerable in Irish society. There has been much talk over recent weeks about President Trump's ban on people travelling from certain countries throughout the Middle East, about which the Irish people were outraged and rightly so. Successive Governments have failed to deal comprehensively with what I consider to be quite a discriminatory policy that lies directly at our feet. I acknowledge Deputy Stanton's bona fides and intentions this area, but I consider it to be a discriminatory policy.

In 2000, the then Fianna Fáil Minister for Justice, John O’Donoghue, commenced a new programme aimed at tackling the issue of refugees coming here to seek asylum. These refugees, many of whom were fleeing war torn areas, came to Ireland in search of safety, in the hope of escaping persecution in their country of origin. The system was seen as a way of housing these people, providing them with basics while the asylum application was being processed. Today in Ireland 35 of these centres are active throughout the State, housing approximately 4,500 people.

Like Frankenstein’s monster, the system has become much more than intended and is now quite grotesque, housing people for many years longer than intended and in unacceptable conditions. As Sinn Féin spokesperson on children I will speak on direct provision from a child protection and children’s rights perspective. It was only last month the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, announced she had clarified legal issues that prohibited the Ombudsman for Children from receiving complaints from or regarding children living in direct provision. This is not before time and is long overdue. It is due to happen next month but should have happened many years ago.

Children living in direct provision are subject to substandard living conditions in an environment not conducive to growth and development. These children come from different areas of the world and from conditions so bleak they are practically unimaginable to us. They have experienced extraordinary amounts of trauma and have been persecuted from a very young age. Many of these children arrived in this country seeking asylum and a new life of dignity, allowing them to live rather than simply to exist. However, in many ways they face persecution and discrimination of a different type on entering the State.

Every year, the Children's Rights Alliance produces a report card. It scored the Government D minus for lack of progress on direct provision. I will highlight two issues from the McMahon report which have not been implemented adequately.

In 2015, HIQA published a report which highlighted that the child protection referral rate is significantly higher for children in direct provision compared with the general population. I understand it remains quite high. The commitment to introduce national standards for direct provision centres was not realised in 2016. They are essential to ensure children in direct provision are afforded equity of care with all children in care and that service providers are required to maintain consistent standards across the different services. The working group highlighted this as an issue and that there are advantages but there has not been progress on it.

I was not present when the Minister of State made his contribution but I listened to it in my office. He spoke about the issue of food and the ability to cook, which is an issue that has come up regularly. He said it was being rolled out. My understanding from RIA's monthly statistics is that there are 128 spaces in self-catering accommodation, which is a small proportion of the 4,500. According to the most recent RIA statistics from January, 128 people can be accommodated. It is something that needs to be resolved.

I could raise many other points. We should remove many of the hard edges from the system in terms of food, sleeping conditions, child protection, national standards and all the rest of it. Direct provision will always remain a problematic and discriminatory system. We need to allow people who are coming here seeking asylum a far greater degree of autonomy and control over their own lives. The Minister of State made a point about housing lists. I acknowledge there is enormous pressure on social housing and rented accommodation but the choice should be available. There should be a fall-back for people if they are unable to find accommodation. They should have the option of being able to find their own accommodation if they can, which is integrated into the community. We need to work towards that. They also deserve the right to work and to further their education. I have met many young people in direct provision, and one of their great frustrations is that they work very hard all the way through school, yet the possibility of progressing any further than their leaving certificate is very minimal. There is a programme for third level education but very small numbers avail of it. It is a cause of great frustration. They are the issues we need to deal with to allow people seeking asylum independent living and autonomy.

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