Results 1-20 of 54 for "direct provision" speaker:Martin Conway

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HIQA Report 2022: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)

Martin Conway: I thank Mr. Egan. I want to ask the CEO a further question. HIQA now has inspection powers in respect of direct provision centres. Has it inspected any centres yet?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: HIQA Report 2022: Discussion (4 Oct 2023)

Martin Conway: ...this area given the fact that the powers are about to be transferred to the authority. From the preliminary work the authority has done, would Ms Fitzgerald be concerned about some of the permanent direct provision centres in the context of the standard of care on offer, overcrowding and so on? HIQA would have responsibility to share information in that regard with us if it has such concerns.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó (Atógáil) - Order of Business (Resumed) (24 May 2023)

Martin Conway: ...dissemination of information from the Government to communities. It is not good enough for NGOs, council officials and local and national public representatives to become aware of the opening of a direct provision centre through the media. These are people, by and large, who want to help. NGOs, local authority officials and public representatives are there to help. I seek a debate on...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Dec 2021)

Martin Conway: ...living in a pandemic. The booster programme is going very well but I am quite concerned about those who got the Janssen vaccine. It was a single-dose vaccine. A lot of people who got it are in direct provision, are members of the Travelling community or are homeless. They are the most vulnerable in our society. An extra effort needs to be made to ensure that those people get their...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Dec 2019)

Martin Conway: ...so on, have done extraordinary work and will continue to do that, so it is to be hoped it will be a good result. I was at a launch in the audiovisual room this morning of a very important report on direct provision. There are 43 very strong recommendations in the report. I know we are only after having statements on direct provision, but maybe in the new year it would be no harm to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Update on Rebuilding Ireland: Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (12 Dec 2019)

Martin Conway: ...the next decade and a half. The new people coming here have to be accommodated as well. At 11 a.m. I will be attending the launch of a report by another committee, of which I am a member, on direct provision. Some 11,000 people are seeking asylum in this country. We are accommodating more than 7,000 of them in emergency accommodation and direct provision centres. The other 4,000 are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Report of the Expert Group on Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (5 Dec 2019)

Martin Conway: ...with this issue but Traveller accommodation is probably the poorest relation when it comes to accommodation in general. I know there is a regular debate on the issue of asylum seekers and direct provision centres and while there are many challenges there, the single biggest challenge this country has is to provide appropriate and proper accommodation to Travellers because over the years,...

Seanad: Provision of Accommodation and Ancillary Services to Applicants for International Protection: Statements (27 Nov 2019)

Martin Conway: ...our international obligations and our obligations to people who are vulnerable and who come here seeking our protection. It has been very difficult. I note that this month marks 20 years since the direct provision system was introduced as a way of dealing with this situation. Back in 2002, 3,500 to 4,000 people came to this country seeking our assistance. These are the type of figures...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Nov 2019)

Martin Conway: ...interesting to see what those 1,000 people had to say about their experiences in Dublin. The study will make for interesting reading when it comes out. I ask the Leader to facilitate a debate on direct provision.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (19 Nov 2019)

Martin Conway: ...comment on a briefing held in the audiovisual room about the community sponsorship Ireland refugee programme. I encourage all Members to reach out to their various communities, including refugees, direct provision centres, and asylum seekers. This programme aims to engage, protect, empower and create a more inclusive community, and ensure that our communities can benefit from people who...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Departmental Transformation Programme: Department of Justice and Equality (6 Nov 2019)

Martin Conway: ...taking place within An Garda Síochána as well. I have a question about a current issue. Is Mr. O'Driscoll happy with his Department's recent handling of emergency accommodation and direct provision facilities for asylum seekers? Has the Department learned lessons from this ongoing issue? Will changes be made based on recent experience?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Nov 2019)

Martin Conway: ...him, I have found to be an absolute gentleman. What happened to his car was an absolute disgrace and it has been, rightly, condemned by everybody. There is a problem though in that four proposed direct provision centres have not gone ahead. We have an international obligation to provide accommodation for people who come to this country seeking our protection. I want to see the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision and the International Protection Application Process: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Martin Conway: ...the presentation from RIA. In some centres, children are accepted into the local national school, but the support and services made available are very limited. In other situations, children from direct provision centres are not accepted into the local primary schools. The protocol should be that local primary schools are obliged to take children from direct provision centres and should...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision and the International Protection Application Process: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Martin Conway: ...in the situation where an emergency accommodation structure is in place. What are the financial arrangements between RIA and the providers of these emergency accommodation beds? I do not mean the direct provision beds but the emergency accommodation beds. What protocols are in place to ensure basis standards in the emergency accommodation? I am trying to understand how the arrangements...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Direct Provision and the International Protection Application Process: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Martin Conway: ...facility is 100% occupied, seven days a week, every week of the year, it is easy to achieve those efficiencies and provide it for €35. We have a duty to significantly and fundamentally upgrade all the direct provision centres. People such as members of this committee should not be hearing stories from residents. Until such time as that does not happen, unfortunately, the delegates...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund: Motion (5 Dec 2018)

Martin Conway: I welcome the Minister of State. He may recall that when he was Chairman of this committee, we visited Portugal to see how it dealt with reception centres. Back then in 2013 or 2014, direct provision in this country was different from today. Today some of our reception centres compare favourably with what we witnessed in Portugal. Engagement with NGOs has borne fruit. There is probably...

Seanad: Irish Nationality and Citizenship (Naturalisation of Minors Born in Ireland) Bill 2018: Second Stage (21 Nov 2018)

Martin Conway: ...xed;ordáin and others stated, speaking about the issues relating to people who come to this country for refuge and a safe haven. In recent years, there have been incremental improvements in areas such as direct provision. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Stanton, who has personally overseen what I would describe as a transformation in this area, particularly in the context of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Immigrant Investor Programme and International Protection Applications: Discussion (11 Jul 2018)

Martin Conway: I would love to develop the point but unfortunately I have to leave at this point. I will ask a number of questions on direct provision if I get an opportunity to do so when I come back.

Seanad: International Protection (Family Unification) (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages (7 Mar 2018)

Martin Conway: ...State would like to be able to do a whole lot more but there is only so much that can be done. There are constraints and challenges. In my own community in north Clare, the Department will open a direct provision centre in Lisdoonvarna. Even in a small community such as Lisdoonvarna which is very welcoming of people, there is fear of the unknown. We all face challenges. We all have to...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: School Accommodation Provision (6 Mar 2018)

Martin Conway: ...the Department stating it had no application on file. Clearly, the information that had come from it was not correct because there was an application on file. A contract has been signed for a direct provision centre in Lisdoonvarna which is about three or four miles from Doolin national school. I have no doubt that some of the children who will live in the centre will be seeking...