Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ba maith liom tacú leis an moladh atá deanta go mbeabh díospóireacht againn maidir le tefigh in Éirina go háirithe sa chóras so láthar díreach. I support the calls for a debate on the direct provision system. I do not believe the system has improved at all since the Mahon report; in fact, things may have gone backwards. Some the changes have been detrimental. That is what I am hearing from direct provision centres and the people with whom I am discussing the issue. Last week I also raised with the Leader the new application process under the International Protection Bill 2015, which has proved to be very onerous. It is a huge document which has to be filled in within three weeks. I asked the Leader to clarify if the Minister would extend the deadline. As I have not heard back, I would like to find out if it has been extended to give applicants more time.

I have raised the issue of staffless libraries across the country a number of times. We were promised a debate on it, but it has not happened to date. I am very disappointed that both Galway City Council and Galway County Council voted in favour of trialling staffless libraries. I note that even though Fianna Fáil representatives in the Seanad told us that they were very concerned about their being rolled out, they voted in favour in Galway City Council during the week and on a previous occasion in Galway County Council. I am concerned that this will lead us down a similar road to that followed in Britain where 900 libraries have been closed and 5,000 staff members lost in libraries in England, Scotland and Wales. I do not want us to go down that route in Ireland. We have not had a proper debate on the issue. We were told that it was a pilot project, but it seems to have been rolled out as policy at this stage. Will it end in the closure of libraries across the country? There will be no point in crying about it at that stage, as we have done in the case of rural schools and Garda stations, etc. We urgently need a debate on what exactly is being proposed and where it will lead in terms of the future of library services.