Results 1-20 of 47 for "direct provision" speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Co-ordination of International Protection Services: Statements (16 Feb 2023)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...of resources needed for a humanitarian effort of this scale. The surge in refugees and those seeking international protection, we must remember, is happening at a time where we have an asylum, immigration and direct provision system that is inhumane, not fit for purpose, far too slow and not properly resourced. That needs to change. Rising to our moral obligations to protect those...

Government Response to Situation in Ukraine: Statements (30 Mar 2022)

Mary Lou McDonald: ..., towards being very specific. The Irish Red Cross, as ever, is agile and effective. I record our appreciation of its effort. However, what is required to accommodate people and to end direct provision - the commitment in that regard has been reiterated in the House - will be a very ambitious and radically different approach to housing and accommodation from what we have seen thus far....

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (21 Jan 2021)

Mary Lou McDonald: 245. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress of the White Paper on direct provision; when this paper will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2980/21]

Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes: Statements (Resumed) (20 Jan 2021)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...inequalities of which women bear the brunt. The State's failure of women is not only history; it is the story of today too. We should not forget that as we speak the State still maintains a system of direct provision. We simply cannot sleepwalk the Deputies of 30 years' time into a repeat of what is happening now and an investigation into that inhumane system. The recommendations of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (16 Dec 2020)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...homelessness is at least 20% higher than the number recorded by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. We also know that there are more than 1,700 adults and children in direct provision, non-State funded emergency and transitional accommodation, and Tusla-funded domestic violence refuges. The State does not include these people in its homelessness figures, which is...

Covid-19 (Taoiseach): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...of solving and overcoming it, we must also do our bit. Whatever its source, rhetoric from the Irish system that decries racism but fails to dismantle the disgraceful and discredited system of direct provision is no good at all. Rhetoric that decries racism but still allows blatant discrimination and injustice against our Traveller citizens is no good either and would beg the response...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (2 Apr 2019)

Mary Lou McDonald: 221. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the policy on direct provision residents’ voting rights, access to election related materials and the right to meet with candidates in the public areas of centres. [15155/19]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...migration? Did he challenge him? Did he challenge his partners in government? As to our management of migration here, I think it has been fairly disastrous. One only needs to look to the system of direct provision to have proof positive that, far from managing migration, we are failing spectacularly in that regard.

Questions on Promised Legislation (27 Sep 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: ..., is unconstitutional and the Government has until 30 November to respond to the court-imposed deadline. In addition, last week retired judge Mr. Brian MacMahon, who produced a Government report on direct provision two years ago, urged the Government to act on its recommendations at a conference marking the second anniversary of its publication. Mr. MacMahon told the conference, which...

Public Accounts Committee: 2015 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriations Account (Resumed)
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality (Resumed)
Chapter 6 - Procurement and Management of Contracts for Direct Provision (Resumed) (11 May 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...of the hour, we do not have the scope for it. Could the Department provide us with a briefing note on the mental health supports, including counselling, provided to individuals and families in direct provision centres? Deputy Connolly eloquently set out the circumstances in which people live and raise their families. I do not know about Mr. Waters but I would not like to live in Mosney...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (6 Apr 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: I take Deputy Connolly's point about all of that. It is a matter of a week or two. While I am very anxious that we get to the direct provision piece, I am not going to die in the ditch for the sake of a week. This has been going on for so long. The main thing is that we do it justice and get to the bottom of it when we deal with it. There is a point of urgency, as Deputy Kelly has said,...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (9 Mar 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...of mother and baby homes. Not only is this work very important, but it could also be very useful in dovetailing with other things that need to be done. That is not to argue against dealing with direct provision or Bord na gCon. There are only so many weeks in the year.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jan 2017)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...situation where there are lots of things we need to do yet we are trying to fill a hiatus. I am not taking from the importance of the matters mentioned by the Chairman, not least the issue of direct provision. I endorse what Deputy Cullinane said regarding the HSE and the arm's length organisations. We talked about this previously. I am mindful that resources are not unlimited but it...

Order of Business (25 Jun 2015)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...with, or caught up in, what has been a nightmare for those families. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions recently published a comprehensive report on the direct provision system which concluded that it is not fit for purpose. Last month, the Ombudsman for Children expressed concerns about children in the direct provision system. The Special...

Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (2 Apr 2015)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...'s personal information is protected. The other concern was that third party FOIs might delay judicial reviews of the organisation's decision making and give rise to significant additional costs in direct provision. We have in this jurisdiction an absolutely disgraceful regime for dealing with refugees and asylum seekers. Not only is it disgraceful in its shape and resourcing and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (1 Apr 2015)

Mary Lou McDonald: ..., I am not convinced by the Minister's proposals before us. Above all, I am alarmed in terms of the change of effective date, particularly in respect of refugee bodies. My position on the issue of direct provision is that I want to see it abolished. I want to see cases dealt with appropriately and lawfully and an end to the practice where people spend years in these centres. Children...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Act 2014: Motions (1 Apr 2015)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is a big mistake. It adds further to the opaque nature of the process and the lack of surveillance of the entire process in which people find themselves trapped for years, and of which direct provision is a part. The Minister knows that as surely as I do. Could he indicate whether it was the Minister for Justice and Equality who sought the measure?

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (11 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: 315. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on the policy of direct provision and dispersal of asylum applicants; her further views that she may stand over the way this policy has been applied in practice, from its introduction to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43194/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (4 Nov 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: ...concerns that have been in the public domain for many years, as well as the need to meet Ireland's obligations with respect to international standards on refugee reception, her plans to replace the direct provision system; if not, her reasons; and if so, if she will provide the anticipated timeframe for its replacement. [41336/14]

Direct Provision for Asylum Seekers: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Oct 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: We in Sinn Féin believe the direct provision system is not acceptable for anybody and should be brought to an end without delay. This system is beneficial to nobody, least of all children. It institutionalises people, damages mental health, denies families privacy and forces a lack of work on them. People living under direct provision are forced by the State to live in inhumane...