Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very grateful to Senator Byrne for allowing me a couple of moments to speak. This is an important debate and I am glad to have the brief opportunity to make a contribution. I echo all the comments made in welcoming to the Gallery those who are interested in this issue. I had particular interest in Senator Ó Clochartaigh's contribution, in which he spoke about the diversity of occupations involved. That leads me to think that even if the Government allowed asylum seekers currently waiting for their application to be processed to work, there may be registration problems for many professions. I have experience of professions in Ireland resisting those who have trained outside this country or who have qualifications from another country. It adds another dimension to the issue.

My main focus is why it takes so long to process applications. I am first to concede, as Senator Ó Clochartaigh mentioned, that this asylum programme was initiated in the midst of chaos. We were experiencing the beginning of the Celtic tiger in 1997 and 1998 and the country had a pull factor. It became an economic paradise for people.

They regarded Ireland rather than other countries that traditionally receive asylum seekers as the country to come to. I fully accept that many of them have probably been here since that time or beyond.

The Minister of State is now the person in charge. He has made certain commitments. I agree with Senator Mac Conghail that he should be given time to work them through. I also appreciate what Senator Byrne, as a working solicitor, has said that there are legal problems. However, I fail to understand why it takes seven, eight or nine years for people to have their applications processed. They should either be shipped out of the country or kept in the country, but this halfway house has led to everything we have heard this afternoon. If the Minister of State did nothing else, he should try to speed up the process. I do not know what that involves and he might clarify why it is taking so long. I understand part of the reason relates to the legal context in which these applications are made and the continual appeals. I do not believe those continual appeals are acceptable. Surely there should be some legal mechanism to ensure a speedy resolution.

The proposers and the Government amendment both agree that there should be some sort of time limit in this regard. I have some sympathy with the last elements of the proposers' motion which states that we should establish a mechanism for those people who have been housed in direct provision for four years or more, with a view to allowing such persons compassionate leave to remain in the State. There should be some sort of halfway house there.

As I said at the outset I do not want in any way to impugn the credibility or human dignity of those living in direct provision. However, there is a responsibility on the Government. This is not something new, as can be seen from the debates on the matter going back over ten or 12 years. The Government has a responsibility to have a speedy and efficient process under which those who are seeking asylum are either turned down and sent back to where they came from or they are allowed to stay. There is no other halfway house. This is the greatest challenge the Minister of State is facing in his new job, in which I wish him very well.