Results 161-180 of 197 for "direct provision" speaker:Catherine Connolly

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)

Catherine Connolly: I understand that but it is a little disingenuous to say they have a choice whether to go into direct provision or not, which is a theme in the documentation that I have read. Am I right that asylum seekers do not have to go into direct provision? They have a choice.

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)

Catherine Connolly: I am not arguing with Mr. Waters. I am merely trying to put this in perspective, where we have direct provision which was supposed to be temporary.

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)

Catherine Connolly: Just one second, that was 2000. It is 2017 and we still have persons in direct provision for longer than five years.

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)

Catherine Connolly: How many are longer than five years in direct provision?

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)

Catherine Connolly: On top of that, we do not know the figure for those who are still in direct provision; we do not know what period of time they have their status.

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)

Catherine Connolly: ..., one which put the situation in perspective. We have rights and obligations under international law. This is not a charity. We have signed up to international documents. We put people into direct provision with huge consequences for their lives. Families share rooms, there is no independence and there is a huge impact on mental and physical health. Is that not right?

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)

Catherine Connolly: I do not know why Mr. Waters jumped to that point. I did not say anything like that. I am specifically talking about the people in direct provision and about how difficult it is for those families who have been in direct provision for a very long time, in restricted accommodation and with limited choices for food. I am simply saying that it is very difficult for them.

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)

Catherine Connolly: Listen to me, Mr. Waters. The biggest difficulty with direct provision has been the silence and lack of information around it. My experience as a councillor in Galway was of a process mired in secrecy. One way of helping would be for the Department to say which ten or 15 measures are outstanding.

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)

Catherine Connolly: I could offer more anecdotes as I had exactly the same experience in Galway. Moreover, another politician was allowed to bring a bus to a direct provision centre. We could provide anecdotes until 10 o'clock tonight but these cases give an indication of how people in direct provision are treated. There should be complete clarity surrounding the rights of residents of direct provision...

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)

Catherine Connolly: ...and certainly does not need any more burdens. It also has many other issues to look into. I am familiar with the position in Galway, where there is a major housing crisis. I cannot see people in direct provision who receive refugee status getting out of direct provision any time soon. I raise a practical one and ask the Secretary General to check what the position is for me. Are...

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)

Catherine Connolly: Is that regardless of whether they are still in direct provision?

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)

Catherine Connolly: The Department must have clarity because it has residents staying in direct provision and needs to know to what they are or are not entitled. I am not blaming the Department but simply seeking clarity on the matter. It seems my understanding is correct and such persons cannot draw benefits or access the housing assistance payment. They are, therefore, caught in a Kafkaesque scenario.

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)

Catherine Connolly: I forgot to ask how many children were in direct provision.

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)

Catherine Connolly: A strong recommendation was made on a complaints procedure, an issue raised by previous speakers. Is it the case that there is no complaints procedure in place and residents of direct provision centres must take complaints straight to the Ombudsman?

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

Catherine Connolly: Bord na gCon was put in the week before. Direct provision was down and Bord na gCon came afterwards. While I am not going to be unreasonable, direct provision is very important and Bord na gCon could, perhaps, be moved.

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

Catherine Connolly: I will defer on the direct provision matter if it is such a profound situation that the industry will collapse.

Direct Provision: Statements (30 Mar 2017)

Catherine Connolly: ...work. I cannot imagine what would stop any Government from giving that right. Second, one recommendation was that after a period of time, I believe it was five years, nobody should be kept in direct provision without having their status legalised. Those are two basic requirements and here we are a year later, after a new election and new promises, still talking about direct...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (29 Mar 2017)

Catherine Connolly: It is direct provision and all of the other stuff.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (23 Mar 2017)

Catherine Connolly: Direct provision.

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

Catherine Connolly: Direct provision is already scheduled for that day.