Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister referred to the immigration and naturalisation Bill. We do not know when that will come before the Houses. It has been kicked to touch in recent years. My issue is that we could put this in place for people in refugee and asylum-seeking scenarios. If we must wait for that Bill to come through, how many people will have suffered injustices by the time it is enacted? If we put this in place now these people would have access to a redress system to which they do not have access at the moment. Their voices are not being heard. The Irish Refugee Council report claims there may be situations of child abuse occurring on our watch. I would prefer to err on the side of caution and at least include this form of redress such that the people in that situation have a voice. The Prison Service is one thing but the refugee and naturalisation service is altogether different. We do not know how long the legislation will take. It is years behind the expected enactment and I do not see it on the books for us to discuss in the near future. I am afraid that it will get kicked to touch for another year or so. How many abuses will have occurred in the intervening one and a half or two years? These people are not being given an opportunity for redress.