Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

In his report, the retired judge, Mr. Justice McMahon, described those living in direct provision as dehumanised and depressed. He said these people were like ghosts. I am sure these people who are like ghosts celebrated when they heard the outcome of the Supreme Court. Can the Minister imagine sitting around, in many cases for five or six years but in some cases for ten, 11 or 12 years, and doing absolutely nothing? I read back over the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton's report when we discussed this on 30 March. The Minister of State went into the detail of all the problems with the direct provision system and how it needs to be address. Not once in that report did the Minister of State mention the right to work and yet we read in The Irish Timesthis morning that a spokesman for the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, stated that independently of the judgment, she had started to examine options that would allow asylum seekers to access the labour market in certain circumstances. I do not believe it for one minute. I do not believe that the Department will sincerely address the question of the right to work.

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