Results 81-100 of 138 for "direct provision" speaker:Trevor Ó Clochartaigh

Seanad: Immigration (Reform) (Regularisation of Residency Status) Bill 2016: Second Stage (29 Jun 2016)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...a proposed new single protection procedure comes into force. It is unacceptable that people who are waiting for a decision on their protection needs for up to four years are left languishing in direct provision during that time. While supportive of the objective and good intention of the Bill, I and a number of non-governmental organisations, NGOs, have stated that we have concerns about...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Direct Provision (8 May 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: The figures I have been given show that in 2012 the Department spent €63.5 million on direct provision. My question regarding NAMA arises from the fact that properties in NAMA are ostensibly State-owned properties. If any of the companies contracted by the RIA to provide accommodation to asylum seekers are under the aegis of NAMA, are we not simply giving moneys from one arm of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jan 2014)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...and was welcomed by many people from different areas. Fishermen were hit very badly by the storms and I have tabled an Adjournment motion on that issue. Another group affected by the storms that did not get much publicity is a group of residents in direct provision in the Eglinton Hotel in Salthill, Galway, who were totally surrounded by water during the floods. On the legislation list...

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (7 Dec 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...conflict with Head 7(2)f, which makes explicit reference to acts of persecution of a child-specific nature. I have a serious problem with the failure of the Bill to address issues of child care and protection, particularly in respect of direct provision. The legislation offers an opportunity to provide some light and hope in respect of addressing issues relating to direct provision. I...

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...the term 'stateless person' means a person who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law". I would like the Minister of State to clarify the situation of children who have been born in direct provision. Under a previous Government there was a change to the constitutional rights of certain children who were born to non-nationals here which rendered them...

Seanad: Direct Provision: Statements (4 Oct 2017)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...Aire. Ní hé inniu an céad lá a labhraimid le chéile faoin ábhar seo. We have crossed swords on this issue on many occasions and we will do so again today. I will state clearly where I stand on direct provision. I see it as a form of institutionalised abuse and a State-sponsored model of incarceration. It needs to be scrapped and, notwithstanding the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Discussion (22 Oct 2014)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ..., should it constitute random access for NGOs or something else? We as elected representatives can be in the same position as Doras Luimní, in that we must ask permission to visit people in direct provision centres. Should the oversight mechanism allow for random access by elected representatives? We should be able to visit constituents in those centres when we wish and not at the...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...is to oversee and have that independent viewpoint. I am concerned at the speed at which the other legislation will come through and how quickly those agencies would be set up. I have visited a direct provision centre in Galway. It is a difficult situation for the people there. In opposition, the Minister was critical of the direct provision model and it was to be scrapped within six...

Seanad: An Bille um an Tríú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Cúirt Achomhairc) 2013: Céim an Choiste agus na Céimeanna a bheidh Fágtha - Thirty-third Amendment of the Constitution (Court of Appeal) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Jul 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: .... Guímid gach rath air. Sílimid go bhfuil sé ríachtanach go mbeadh a leithéid ann agus beimid ag tacú leis. We will support this Bill, as I said previously. On Second Stage I brought up the issue of direct provision, and I noted the 1,850 people who are over five years in that system. The Minister indicated to me previously that many of those cases are...

Seanad: International Protection Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (7 Dec 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...six months applicants either will be given asylum, refugee status, leave to remain, etc. or will be in a position whereby they will be deported and, in consequence, people will not be continuing in direct provision-style accommodation thereafter? Is the Minister of State making the point that once this Bill is passed, this issue will be solved overnight and any new applications will be...

Seanad: Death of Nelson Mandela: Statements (10 Dec 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...directed at and actions taken against Travellers, the Roma community and other ethnic minorities? Today is International Human Rights Day. The Irish Refugee Council launched an important report on direct provision this morning called "Direct Provision: Framing an alternative reception system for people seeking international protection". It is scandalous that there are still people in...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2014)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...make this point again is because the Seanad Public Consultation Committee had a very good set of hearings yesterday. I note that a recurring theme that arose throughout that debate was the issue of direct provision, which Members have brought up many times in this House. I note that Professor Michael O'Flaherty, Dr. Liam Thornton, the Immigrant Council of Ireland and a number of others...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2017)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: Ba maith liom tacú leis an moladh atá deanta go mbeabh díospóireacht againn maidir le tefigh in Éirina go háirithe sa chóras so láthar díreach. I support the calls for a debate on the direct provision system. I do not believe the system has improved at all since the Mahon report; in fact, things may have gone backwards. Some the changes have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality (1 Apr 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...from the Department of Justice in attempting to reach a compromise over people in the system for more than five years, makes it impossible to reach agreement for a process that will give people in Direct Provision the relief that they need. The draft report from the group which has been looking at living conditions, despite it being a report from the sub-group, from the perspective of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Role and Functions: Office of the Ombudsman (1 Oct 2014)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...thank Mr. Tyndall for attending. The casebook is very welcome and gives a very good oversight of the work being done and will be very useful in future. I wish to update Mr. Tyndall on our work on direct provision. We will have a number of hearings on that issue about extending the remit of the Ombudsman and I hope they will have it sooner rather than later. It is something we have...

Seanad: Prisons Bill 2015: Second Stage (7 Dec 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...Senator Bacik rightly called a "black spot on the Irish record", but this is being done on foot of a report done 30 years ago. I seriously hope we will not be in a similar position in regard to what we are doing on direct provision, namely, that we institutionalise it ad nauseamand in 30 years' time other parliamentarians will be here debating reports about how that system is not living...

Seanad Public Consultation Committee: Irish Compliance with International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Discussion (6 May 2014)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...as the Good Friday Agreement. Does the committee look only through the lens of its UN remit? Will the Aarhus Convention form a backdrop to its deliberations? I was not here for the debate on direct provision but I have campaigned passionately on it. Some people might call it an Irish solution to an Irish problem and, many people would argue, not a particularly satisfactory one. What...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jun 2014)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: .... My office in Galway is inundated with people who are very concerned about how they will cope because of the cuts made to rent supplement. I thank all those Senators who were able to attend the presentation last night on the direct provision system. It was a very good presentation and I extend an invite to anybody who wants to become involved in the cross-party Oireachtas group we have...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2015)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...could be kicked to touch. The stakeholders have asked whether the Seanad might debate the Minister's plans over the next year for facilitating people to vote in presidential elections at the least. I wish to raise a major concern. The House has often debated the direct provision system, asylum seekers, etc. This morning, the CEO of the Irish Refugee Council, Ms Sue Conlan, made it...

Seanad: Asylum Support Services: Motion (23 Oct 2013)

Trevor Ó Clochartaigh: ...This is probably the most significant debate I have been involved in since I have been here in the last two and a half years. We have a chance to make a real difference here tonight. The 4,600 people in direct provision are listening in and noting what is happening here tonight and are very concerned. The Minister inherited an appalling system and a backlog in the courts, which was...