Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for taking this important Adjournment debate on direct provision for asylum seekers. As he will be aware, decisive action is required on the current structures of the direct provision system, which have been criticised at home and abroad. An independent appeals mechanism is needed, as is legislation to ensure a fairer system for those seeking asylum. I thank the students of Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceíne and their teacher, Lisa Sanford, for inviting me to the school to debate this issue about which they are very concerned. The students are involved in a project to highlight this issue.

People seeking asylum, some of whom will become citizens, are being treated appallingly. The Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, has the ability to change the direct provision system which he regarded as flawed when he was an Opposition spokesperson. After two and a half years in Government, he and the Labour Party, which was also critical of the system when in opposition, have not shown any urgency in addressing the issue.

The former Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, who is now the European Ombudsman, brought a number of reports to government on direct provision and raised concerns about asylum seekers. At the time, two thirds of asylum seekers had been in direct provision for approximately three years. Government policy, as enunciated by the current Minister and his predecessor, is that the period spent in direct provision should not exceed six months. The former Ombudsman raised the possibility that the circumstances in which people were living, for example, in very close quarters, were having negative mental and physical health effects and could constitute child abuse. The Council of Europe warned about the asylum process here in 2012 when it referred to negative consequences on mental health, family ties and integration prospects.

This returns me to the point that direct provision is the first port of call for many asylum seekers who will subsequently become citizens. It beggars belief that the Government has not taken any action on direct provision in the past three years despite the criticism levelled at the system by organisations at home and abroad. Ultimate responsibility lies with the Minister for Justice and Equality. I am disappointed he is not present. I could cite some of the criticism he made of the direct provision system while an Opposition Deputy. As the person with power to change the system, I ask him to explain the reasons he has not tackled the issue. I hope he will listen to the campaign of the students of Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceíne and others who are trying to highlight this issue.

Asylum seekers do not have a vote and asking politicians, notably those in government who were critical of the direct provision system while in Opposition, to tackle the issue does not seem to be bearing fruit.

Will the Minister read the reply he has from the Minister for Justice and Equality to ascertain whether we can make progress on this important issue?