Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The security on the INIS website is low level. It has been reviewed by security academics. A website usually asks one to confirm that one is not a robot by asking how many cars are in a picture. The INIS website does not have any of these security provisions so a bot has been able to go in, buy up the slots and sell them on Facebook for €25 to €30. This is unfair and immigrants are being exploited. I have brought this to the attention of the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as have some of my colleagues from Fianna Fáil. I bring it to the attention of the House because it is something that could readily be fixed. Pragmatism and urgency are required in order to do so.

People have come to my clinic who are in receipt of asylum work permits. It looks like a grant of probate - it is a cream form. One person got a job, presented the asylum work permit and was told that the head office of the company will not accept it. It might be apt for the Government to consider putting this into the equality legislation. Refusing to accept work permits like this should be one of the equality grounds for discrimination. It is not acceptable that employers are refusing to accept these work permits if the Government is issuing them.

I welcome the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Mental Health that smartphone protocol be introduced, especially for young children and in schools. There should also be a protocol for adults. Addiction to smartphones can cause mental health and addiction issues. It can lead to overworking, and many Senators probably suffer from that. We need to have a debate on the proper use of smartphones. Our relationship with smart phones is unhealthy. I commend the recommendations of the joint committee.