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

It is interesting that the Minister of State wants to hear views on alternative systems. I can think of one. Offering immediately shelter, food and safety to children and their parents who come here is a challenge, but leaving them in direct provision accommodation for up to seven years is absolutely obscene. There is an alternative to the system, namely, not having the meeting of the needs of the homeless compete with the meeting of the needs of those who come here seeking asylum. The only reason they compete is the housing crisis, which involves a separate but not unrelated discussion. The problem is that the parents of the children, many of whom have been in direct provision accommodation for up to seven years, are not given access to work. We have seen the meat industry open its doors to allow new workers to come into the country. There is an appeal from the care industry and the hospitality sector to do likewise. Despite this, someone cannot apply for work if he or she has been here for less than nine months. If someone's case is being appealed, he or she cannot apply. This relates to a significant cohort of parents.

Let me return to the circumstances of the children. Let us recall how touched the entire country was by the story of the young woman who went on "Morning Ireland" having lived in a hotel for two years. Imagine how touched the entire country would be if we were to examine how children fared in direct provision accommodation for up to seven years and the conditions in which they lived. The Minister of State's description sounds nice, but the Refugee Council of Ireland has a different type of report, of which I am sure he is aware.

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