Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and the Minister of State. Like my colleagues, I welcome the White Paper on ending direct provision and the steps that must be taken in that regard, especially the recommendations on taking a human rights-based approach. I will focus my comments on the perspective of children and young people in the direct provision system. It has been particularly difficult for them. They have been pretty much isolated from their communities and many have been left in limbo, in some cases for their entire childhoods. I always think that some of the most difficult representations we receive is when there is a possibility of someone moving on to third level education. That person may have spent a large proportion of his or her young life in direct provision and might then be cut out of accessing third-level education due to the financial situation existing in that regard.

Many young people living in direct provision have used their voices to raise the serious faults with the system. They are engaged and want to be involved in the conversation. It is important that the Government works with young people to build a system that works for them. We must build a system that makes a real effort to reduce waiting times, because allowing people to languish in cramped and inappropriate accommodation is unacceptable. The delays in processing families has an enormous impact on children and young people’s mental health. Any new reception centres must lessen the anxiety and instability that many children face on their journey to Ireland, particularly when they first arrive.

Sinn Féin is supportive of the proposal to provide the vast majority of asylum seekers with own-door accommodation. This welcome move will have a very positive impact on children’s mental, physical and social needs. I am very happy to see that the impact of direct provision on children and young people has been highlighted in the report by Catherine Day. I broadly welcome the additional funding that will be provided to Tusla for parenting supports and child development services.

While I recognise the inclusion of Tusla in providing supports for children who have experienced trauma and conflict is a positive step and one to be welcomed, I would not like to see Tusla, which has an enormous remit and a significant workload, being asked to undertake this vital and important intervention work without adequate funding. It is important on this point to state as well that people dealing with children and young people coming from a traumatic situation must have the correct qualifications and experience for dealing with people who have experienced trauma. It is very different to other situations and we must always bear that point in mind. As much as possible in future, we really need to try to have an approach focused on intervention, and early intervention, and dealing with any anxieties concerning children and their mental health. The research shows that the best outcomes result from the earliest intervention. I would like the Minister and the Minister of State to be mindful of that fact.

Obviously, no one could stand over the current direct provision system. It is completely unacceptable, particularly for an unaccompanied child. This White Paper sets out that a decision on protection applications must be made before a child turns 18, and this is to be welcomed. Hopefully, that will also help to prevent such situations as I referred to earlier concerning children and young people trying to get into third-level education. I am also happy to see that children and young people in direct provision will be treated the same as Irish children, and the inclusion of a payment similar to the child benefit payment will have a positive impact on child poverty in the system.

Concerning the oversight group, who will comprise its membership and what role will it play? Turning to the timeframes, 2025 is when this is expected to take place. No one believes that anything can happen overnight, but we all know how long the current system has been in place, how inadequate it is and how it is failing people and especially children and young people. We cannot continue to have that happen and any moves that can be made to address this situation properly before 2025 would definitely be welcome and would show there is a serious commitment here and that this is not some sort of great plan on paper, which we often see in here, and a case of saying, "we will deal with this in a few years". I, therefore, urge that any immediate action that can be taken should be taken, especially concerning children and young people.

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