Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

Technically, I agree with the Minister that unless foreign nationals have a right to be here they should not have the right to build up entitlements. I agree with the Minister in theory but in practice it is a little bit different. We are putting these cases into a backlog by not dealing with them for four or five years and in this way we are denying people their human rights. There is another series of knock-on effects arising from this. Trafficking is one example. I have become involved with the Galway Rape Crisis Centre of late and I have learned that 20% of their clients come from direct provision centres. Some 1% of Galway's population are foreign nationals yet 20% of them seek help and counselling as a result of rape and violence. Some of these people are underage minors housed in direct provision centres. This is a serious issue.

Asylum is a gift. If the Minister or I needed asylum in another country we would see it as a gift. It should not take that number of years. While I agree with the Minister on a technical point, I do not agree once this process goes beyond six months. Why is there such a backlog? Why are staff not assigned to clear the backlog so that we do not have a living history developing of asylum seekers and refugees in direct provision centres throughout our country?