Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The treatment of asylum seekers will go down in history as one of the most shameful episodes in the history of the State. Generations in ten and 20 years will be looking for redress for the treatment they received in this State since 16 years ago.

The direct provision system introduced more than 16 years ago was supposed to provide temporary accommodation for up to six months while a decision was made to accept or reject an asylum application. I propose that one of the first things that could be done is for those applications to be quickened up. We have had many people visit our constituency offices about it. I know every situation is different when an application is made, but they go on and on. Applicants are asked for more papers and it involves more work, while those applicants are still sitting in limbo in direct provision. We now have a situation where 55% of asylum seekers have been in direct provision for more than five years, 20% of whom have been in direct provision for more than seven years.

Children are growing up in detention centres and that has to stop. One example from a series in The Irish Times called "Lives in Limbo" was a 12 year old girl who has been living in a mobile home in a direct provision centre for eight years. There are 1,600 children in these centres.

The Irish Refugee Council report on their situation found many other problems such as children living in rooms with entire families or with other families, lack of appropriate food, no child benefit or little access to play areas. Some recommendations are to ensure a safe environment and no exposure to inappropriate behaviour, access to private toilet facilities, adequate space for families, separate rooms for parents, an option for families to choose and cook healthy food - I note the point the Minister of State made earlier but this is 15 years on - and the reinstatement of child benefit for all children living here.

These are simple things. They are interim measures but I reiterate the point made earlier that the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission described the direct provision system as a severe violation of human rights. Direct provision cuts off a whole community from another community. That is what happened in the industrial schools, the Magdalen laundries and the mother and baby homes. A whole layer of people was cut off from general society, was isolated and its voice was cut off in many ways. While doing that was an attempt to keep the people down, those people fought on and raised their voices. I know people in direct provision, now and in the future, will do the same thing.

I support the calls to abolish the direct provision system, to end the €15 million going into the pockets of private contractors and to grant asylum seekers the right to work. Ireland is one of just two EU member states where asylum seekers are prohibited from working after a designated period. Even over in the UK, asylum seekers can work after a year, under certain conditions. That is one of the issues that needs to be addressed. Asylum seekers must have access to third level education. A basic requirement in society is an education. Asylum seekers should receive welfare benefits the same as all other residents and citizens of the State. A transparent immigration process must be put in place. The application process is not transparent in any shape or form.

I supported and signed a similar motion put forward by Deputy Bríd Smith and the other 38 Deputies who signed up to it. We debated this issue in September 2014, during the last Dáil, when Deputy Pringle put it on the agenda. This issue is not unknown to the Government. It is well aware of it.

I will make one last point about the international protection aspect and the 60-page document. Why and how did the Department send out a 60-page document to applicants which they were told to return in 20 days, when they had to get assistance, legal advice and papers that were already in the process and could not be accessed? Even doing that was an absolute shame and scandal. I am glad to hear there is an extension. That extension should be prolonged as long as necessary to assist asylum seekers in completing the document.

I will support the motion in the Dáil and hope it will come before the House soon. The Minister needs to be more proactive in this area. I do not accept the argument about housing - that there is a problem with housing or there is not enough and questioning where asylum seekers in direct provision would be put. There is money in this country. We know where the wealth is. We have, on many occasions, put forward proposals on how to deal with the housing crisis, both for our own people in emergency accommodation and for asylum seekers. That is the answer, not using the problem as an excuse not to deal with the issue.

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