Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I oppose this amendment which relates to the period of time given to applicants for asylum status to notify the Refugee Applications Commissioner of a permanent address where he or she can be contacted, for example, if notices need to be sent out. If I accede to the amendment and it is accepted by the House, applicants will have 25 working days – five full weeks, or over one month – in which to provide the information. Somebody who comes to the State will have over one month in which to log on, if I may use that phrase, to the refugee applications system. Such a situation would be unacceptable as it could mean that we would have a large floating population whose address for the purpose of serving notices would be unknown.

People may want to change their address from time to time but the Reception and Integration Agency provides all asylum seekers with accommodation, upon request. Therefore, there is no basis on which somebody could be without an address. An applicant might move from one place to another, within the direct provision system, and might, therefore, have some time to log on to the system between two addresses. Given that everybody is offered accommodation by the RIA, the system provided for in the Bill, whereby applicants must provide within one week an address to which subsequent documentation such as notices of interviews or other meetings related to applications can be sent and will be capable of being received, is not particularly strict. Acceptance of the amendment would simply create another dysfunctional area in the system as it would provide for a time period during which people would be at large and nobody would know where they were. As there is no good reason for such problems, I am strongly opposed to the amendment.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Government amendment No. 9:

In page 9, line 10, to delete "this subsection" and substitute "that obligation".