Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I join with Senator van Turnhout, who has been raising the issue of direct provision for asylum seekers and their families in this House for some time. She also raised it as a matter on the Adjournment last week. I note the comments reported today of former Supreme Court judge, Mrs. Catherine McGuinness, in which she stated that in years to come, there will be major recriminations over the treatment in particular of children of asylum seekers in direct provision. Members must consider this issue urgently and I support Senator van Turnhout's attempts to uncover some of the statutory basis for the system of direct provision. All Members are conscious that the numbers of people in direct provision have fallen and the Immigrant Council of Ireland has been mounting a campaign about this issue. However, conditions for those remaining in direct provision are still of real concern to many Members. They might have a debate on it in this Chamber because it is a matter of great concern even if numbers are falling. In particular, children may still be in highly inappropriate accommodation.

I welcome the vote in the French Parliament on marriage equality and that the French state now finally will see equality in marriage law for gay couples and for opposite-sex couples. This is relevant to Ireland because as colleagues are aware, the Constitutional Convention passed a motion calling on the Government to hold a referendum on this issue with a 79% majority. It is evident that increasing numbers of countries are moving towards a system of marriage equality, which is really welcome.

I wish to express my concern at reports in the newspaper that the heads of the Bill on the X case and on the A, B and C v. Ireland case seek to require a panel of six or more doctors to verify suicide risk in pregnant women. There has been extensive comment on the subject in recent days and eminent psychiatrists have described it as abusive of women. All Members would agree that it would be utterly impractical and unworkable to require women to submit to this sort of interrogation-----