Labour ex-ministers’ concern on direct provision for asylum seekers not reflected by action in power

LABOUR PARTY leaders’ weekend criticism of the controversial direct provision system for asylum seekers that they were responsible for while in power with Fine Gael is “yet another example of Labour talking the talk when in opposition when they didn’t walk the walk whilst in Government”, says Sinn Féin Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, a member of the Oireachtas Working Group on Direct Provision.

Speaking in Galway, the Sinn Féin senator said that concerns about direct provision have been continuously raised by Sinn Féin, Oireachtas committees, successive public service Ombudsmen, the Ombudsman for Children, the Irish Refugee Council, Doras Luimní, NASC and Spirasi and a host of international human rights organisations.

He said that the Working Group which Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordán oversaw as a Minister of State was precluded by the last Labour/Fine Gael Government from proposing alternatives to direct provision, a barrier which led to a number of high-profile resignations from the group.

“Former Labour Ministers Joan Burton and Jan O’Sullivan were also called upon to act to allow children in direct provision access to third-level education and to universal children’s allowance payments amongst other things which they failed to deliver on,” Trevor Ó Clochartaigh said.

“It is interesting to note that President Higgins has rowed in on the debate now as well but when a number of leading NGOs and concerned individuals called on him not to sign the International Protection Bill – which in their view failed to address serious concerns about Ireland’s obligations under international agreements around family reunification and other issues – he signed the Bill into law.

“Direct provision has been the subject of many reports which say the privatised, profit-driven system dreamed up by Fianna Fáil and perpetuated by Fine Gael and Labour needs to be replaced with a more appropriate model which lives up to our international human rights obligations and best practice, bringing us in line with almost every other EU state. That is what must now be achieved and Sinn Féin will be pushing for that to happen.”