Lisa McDonald (Fianna Fail)

We have not faced the challenge of integration of new people to our shores in modern times. We need to supplement the necessary debate about immigration control and the arrival and reception of immigrants with one about the long-term picture, namely, integration. I have read that multiculturalism is defined as "validating diversity and harmony between different groups". Instead of building higher walls, it offers security of identity while promoting a creative and dynamic hybridity. There are times, however, when the loose way in which the term has come to be used in public debate is unhelpful and even dangerous.

On the one hand, the rather fuzzy way in which the pro-diversity and anti-racist lobby groups use the word "integration" hardly provides us with an effective roadmap for defining future policy. On the other hand, the lack of clarity about the term also fuels the concerns of those who fear change, sometimes for understandable reasons, and who do not know where it is leading us.

Everyone is a little nervous of the new and it behoves politicians and those who favour change to explain what they mean and the implications such changes might have for ordinary people. Those of us who belong to the pro lobby when it comes to immigration and integration have sometimes failed to take our case to the public in terms which are understandable and clear. We fail to connect in that regard.

Multiculturalism would not work without State intervention and support but it cannot be managed in the long-term on a top-down basis. The aim must be to facilitate partnership-based, bottom-up approaches through local community groups and schools.

I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Conor Lenihan, on setting up the expert group to advise the Government on integration policies and I look forward to its report early next year. I also congratulate him on his intelligent handling of his policy brief thus far. However, I mention a few areas of crucial concern. We need to encourage the Civil Service to introduce a recruitment policy for foreign nationals. Different elements of the State are operating at different speeds and it is the Government's job to bring everybody up to speed, so to speak. The Garda Síochána is ahead of the pack in that regard and has recruited foreign nationals. I would also like to see the Civil Service do so. Seeing public sector jobs being made available would be an important signal to immigrants as it would encourage so-called ethnic entrepreneurship where immigrants set up their own business which has benefits for society.

Language classes were mentioned but there is no uniformity in the way the vocational education committees are running classes. They are not run frequently enough. We all know how easy it is to forget what we have learned from one term to another. More frequent classes are needed to continue learning done in the previous course. A more formal approach needs to be taken. I urge that pressure be put on the VECs immediately to run more classes. If we are to wait until the report comes out and perhaps another year before some formal approach is taken, many people will be frustrated because they cannot speak the language. Frustration can lead to other things, such as crime. It behoves us all to put pressure on the VECs. Some of them are brilliant at what they are doing but others are not so good. There is no uniformity of approach and we need to address that.

The primary school initiatives the Minister of State mentioned are very welcome. However, we need to focus on the parents. The parent information provided on the websites is excellent but many immigrants do not have access to the Internet. It may be a bridge too far for them to look up Internet sites when really all they are looking for is human contact.

John's Road primary school in Wexford town, in conjunction with the Wexford area partnership, has just completed a programme for the parents of next year's junior infants in preparing them for school. It is called Head Start. They finished the first stint of their eight week course last night and it has gone very well. This could be held up as a model of what needs to be done and what works. Funding for this came from the European integration fund. It is piecemeal, obviously, and we should consider rolling it out.

The recognition of qualifications is another area which causes stress. I suggest the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland needs to speed up confirming qualifications because it is taking approximately six months, which is a little too long.

We need to address access to health services and advocacy rights, which are vital. People deserve to be treated like human beings and we need more contact points and clinics. The area partnerships are the way to go in that regard because they get people in and are able to deal with them through translators. The two new integration funds from Europe are welcome in that regard because they are giving more support.

Policy, planning and provision all matter in terms of the effective reception of immigrants into our society and systems but civic society has a crucial and active role to play. Settling into a strange place with a different language is tough. As Senator Mark Daly said, we know how tough it is, so I will not go over that again.

Some people have legitimate concerns, which they have expressed, about the impact of immigration, whether on the lives of those already marginalised in society, our mores and values, wage levels, job security, housing or on a host of other issues. We need to create a space for those voices to be heard. We cannot allow racism to fester. I hope this debate will help to provide such a space. There should be fora for different voices throughout the country and I welcome what the Minister of State said about funding such fora.

Many countries have got this wrong but I have great confidence we will get it right because we will do it differently from them. Integration is the way forward and I welcome the Minister of State's report which I hope we will have early next year so that we can get on with the job.