Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I know such communication difficulty exists. Many of us get phone calls from India or some other place trying to sell us computer parts.
In this Bill, Senator Norris is making the point that people waiting over four years should be allowed to engage in a normal life while waiting for their situation to be resolved. We need to look at this from a business perspective. Those people who have been here for over four years waiting in direct provision for a decision should get priority so that the backlog is cleared and that those who have probably endured the most pain, are cared for. Will the Minister of State inform us whether there are any plans for future policy to give priority to those who have been waiting in direct provision for a long period of time? Could we even include something in this Bill to this effect, to ensure that there is some sort of priority given to people if they have waited over four years? This would ensure that people who may be suffering as a result of waiting so long are given priority and that their case might be resolved more quickly.
I would like to touch on one other issue, that of mental health. We are aware there has been significant stress and mental health problems among those who have had to wait for long periods. The onus of responsibility is on the Government and the people to ensure we have a way to provide for the people who come here seeking asylum.