Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I want to pick up on something I believe was discussed at Cabinet earlier this week, that is, the measures that will be introduced this year to bring about a regularisation scheme for undocumented families in this country. I welcome the significant progress that has been made in the past 12 months, particularly since the Green Party went into government. This is something on which I have long campaigned and on which we made some progress during the previous Government, although not nearly enough.

I welcome the significant progress that has been made on it and look forward to seeing that enacted into law. It is wrong and immoral that people in this country pay tax and PRSI and contribute to our society and economy, but if they get sick or lose their jobs, there is no safety net available for them. It also causes significant hardship for their children. We have all come across situations where the children of people who have fallen under those particular conditions come up against significant barriers when they try to go on to further education. That is a very welcome development.

I will turn to the issue before us, that is, the direct provision system and the commitment that has now been given to phase this out in an expeditious manner. I warmly welcome that. I know that the then Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, and prior to that, the former Minister, Alan Shatter, in particular did much work in making progress in this area. I hope we can bring this to fruition now over the term of this Government. We have some 7,500 people within our asylum system at the moment.

Up to 7,000 of those are within direct provision system, including approximately 2,000 children. Anyone who has had the opportunity to visit some of these facilities when that was possible, or to engage with people who are stuck in that system, cannot be but impacted by the mental health, psychological and emotional issues faced by those stuck in it. As I have said in the House on numerous occasions, having nothing to do and all day to do it is not good for any individual or their mental health. Many of us have seen that at first hand over the past 12 months as a result of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Some of these people have been in direct provision facilities for up to a decade. Children have been born and, in some instances, have gone through their primary education living in these facilities. It is not good, right or acceptable that we are still looking at nearly a two-year processing period for asylum applications. It is not right for those individuals that it is taking so long to process those applications. They deserve a decision. Whatever that decision is, they deserve a timely decision based on all the evidence.

Neither is it good for the taxpayer. It is imperative that an expeditious and properly resourced system is put in place. Some 11 years ago, the late Brian Lenihan brought forward the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill to reform the processing of asylum applications in this country. Many elements of that legislation remain outstanding to this day. We need to have a streamlined process for everyone involved. There must be clear and definitive timelines in order that those in the system can get a timely decision.

We should not forget about some of the disgraceful practices seen in the past in the direct provision and hostel systems. Within the past 12 months, I have spoken in the House about the scandal of unaccompanied minors in the hostel system. During the height of the economic boom in the 2000s, 443 children went missing from hostel facilities run by the HSE and were never seen again. Some children missing from the hostel system were found in brothels, in restaurants or had been subsequently trafficked out of this jurisdiction. However, 443 of those children were never found. These were children who were put into the custody of the State and just disappeared.

That practice had been brushed under the carpet until eventually it was exposed and addressed. Thankfully, that hostel system has been outlawed once and for all. We need to see a similar approach being taken with the direct provision system.

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