Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish to highlight today the Government’s White Paper on ending direct provision, which is scheduled to be published before the end of 2020. It is essential that we put pressure on the legislators to use the key recommendations of the groundbreaking report by Catherine Day. We must see an end to direct provision, an end to institutionalised living and an end to congregated settlements. While the Government is committed to ending direct provision, the new recommendations are not legally binding and thus the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which now leads the direct provision portfolio, is not required to include all of the suggested measures in its White Paper. Having had discussions with Nasc last week, it expressed anxiety at the thought of the White Paper excluding the key recommendations proposed by the Catherine Day report.Ms Fiona Finn, the CEO of Nasc, says the significance of this report cannot be understated. The main area of concern, from Nasc's point of view, is housing, dealt with in chapter 4 of the Day report. We must ensure the Day report is the main point of reference in drafting this White Paper. Ireland will continue to receive asylum seekers so it is essential we fashion a housing policy that is fit for purpose.

The Day report proposes that first-instance decisions on asylum applications be made within six months, as required under the European Commission's recast reception conditions directive, to which we have been subscribed since July 2018. The report also specifies that asylum seekers will spend up to three months in a State-owned reception centre where they will undergo a vulnerability assessment, receive legal advice and begin their application for international protection. Importantly, the report stipulates that people should not be housed in remote areas but in towns and cities where they have access to employment and educational opportunities. It also provides that the number of people housed in each area should be proportionate to the size of the town or city. The report is nothing short of groundbreaking. While some advocacy groups have commented that it is non-exhaustive, it is the most widely praised report by NGOs and advocacy groups in this area and must be the main point of reference for the White Paper.

Finally, I take this opportunity to remember Jeffrey, a resident in the asylum centre in Killarney, County Kerry, who had a history of poor mental health but no access to the help he desperately needed. I want to take a moment to send my respects to his family and friends. Jeffrey was one of a number of asylum seekers who had been protesting poor living conditions. We cannot allow this type of atrocity to occur again. As people in positions of privilege, we cannot simply stand by while human beings suffer in squalor under the State's watchful eye. It is absolutely urgent that we do something about this.