Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his statement. Does the Minister agree the Covid-19 crisis has further illustrated the fundamental problems that arise from the communal residential nature of direct provision as it is implemented in Ireland? In light of the potential of future waves of Covid-19 or variants of the virus, we need to move to accommodation centres that are based on own-door accommodation. With regard to Cahersiveen, as far as I am aware, there is currently public health guidance about the Skellig Accommodation Centre. This requires that residents self-isolate for at least 14 days after the last diagnosis of Covid-19. Does the Minister believe that once the public health guidance is lifted the Department should cease to use the Skellig Accommodation Centre as emergency accommodation in light of the unsuitability of the building, the wider site and of the breakdown in trust between management and residents?

Similar to Deputy Murnane O'Connor and other Deputies who spoke earlier, I am concerned about the capacity of our domestic violence services to cope with the expected surge in demand for their services. Having spoken with Safe Ireland and Sonas, I am aware that that surge has already begun. In light of the somewhat fragmented nature of responsibility for domestic violence services across a number of Departments and agencies, can the Minister reassure the front-line service providers in the domestic violence sector that they will have the extra resources necessary to offer help to women and children who are fleeing abuse? Like the Minister, I recognise the work of the staff of the Irish Prison Service in ensuring that there have been no outbreaks of Covid-19 in prisons or places of detention. Is the Minister satisfied that people who are classified as vulnerable due to their age or an underlying condition who have been cocooning within our prisons have had access to at least one hour of exercise every day and at least two hours of meaningful human contact?

I am aware of situations where undocumented workers were afraid to seek medical advice despite the fact that they were suffering from Covid-like symptoms, because they were afraid that their status would be shared with immigration officials. I know the Minister for Health provided some clarifications in that area. Does the Minister agree that a scheme for the wider recognition of undocumented workers in this country would not only have the benefit of taking these workers out of the black economy but, perhaps as importantly, would lessen an ongoing public health risk created if sick people are afraid to seek medical advice?

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