Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Leader could tell Members that. I am sure he would know all about that and ours certainly are not. However, it appears that the Minister, Deputy Shatter, has taken on some of the Teflon left behind by Bertie and the boys because he appears to be totally impregnable when it comes to the calamities and debacles that have ensued in his ministerial role. There has been the GSOC affair, the whistleblowers, the way in which he dealt with former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan and now the statements by the Data Protection Commissioner with regard to the Deputy Wallace affair, which was totally inappropriate. However, the Government stands behind and defends him all the way, which is completely inappropriate. I believe the Labour Party in particular must consider its defence of this Minister once more.

The reason I make this point again is because the Seanad Public Consultation Committee had a very good set of hearings yesterday. I note that a recurring theme that arose throughout that debate was the issue of direct provision, which Members have brought up many times in this House. I note that Professor Michael O'Flaherty, Dr. Liam Thornton, the Immigrant Council of Ireland and a number of others addressed the issue of direct provision in the context of international human rights. Professor O'Flaherty offered his opinion that this State and the Government are more than likely to get their hands rapped on this issue because it is very much in contravention of international human rights. Moreover, with all the debacles going on in the Department of Justice and Equality, it is quite clear that putting Bills such as the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill on the long finger and telling Members they cannot be dealt with is all because the Minister is putting out fire after fire within his own Department and is not focusing on the job of work that must be done. While it is well and good and proper for Senators to raise issues abroad of international human rights violations, human rights violations are happening on their watch on Irish soil that must be dealt with. Moreover, Members need a Minister who is competent and able to do that and who will bring forward the proper legislation that will deal with these issues in a forthright manner.