Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba mhaith liom a bheith ceangailte leis na smaointí comhbhróin a luaigh an Seanadóir Mullins. I would like to be connected with the condolences extended to the Donoghue family in Kilbeacanty and all connected to Niall. His death is an awful tragedy.

We had a very good debate last night, one of the best in which I have taken part in this Seanad, in which Members on all sides raised serious issues about the direct provision system. However, I was totally dismayed by the Minister's response to the debate. His prepared speech was a regurgitation of replies to Adjournment matters and parliamentary question in the past two and a half years. The Government is behind the curve in regard to the direct provision system and I fear the Minister is sticking his head in the sand on the serious issues raised by colleagues across the House last night. His answer seems to be a blank "No", that the Department will not look at and examine the direct provision system, that what we have is the best model and that it will not be changed.

On a related issue of minority groupings, the issues connected with Roma families are serious. The European Human Rights Commissioner has called into question the role of the media in dealing with these issues. It is welcome that the Ombudsman for Children has been asked to look at them, but it is also important that the Garda Ombudsman be asked to conduct an independent inquiry into the role of gardaí in this regard. This issue points to a broader one. Therefore, it would be fitting to have a debate on the plight of the Roma people in Ireland. Organisations such as Pavee Point are concerned that the types of incident we have seen could fuel racism against the Roma people. This country has also been criticised by the European Commission for its failure to develop an inclusive and progressive national Traveller-Roma integration strategy. We are told Ireland had a shocking score of four out of 22 in its recent assessment. It has been highlighted previously that many of the children in Roma families are living in poverty and that there are particular difficulties within that community. Instead of focusing on the issue raised recently, I suggest we have a broader debate on the situation in which the Roma people find themselves in this country.

I support the call made by Senator Denis O'Donovan for a debate on fisheries. The Senator is correct that holding such a debate is vital.