Direct Provision needs to be overhauled now By Alison O Reilly
Councillor Francis Timmons has worked with many asylum seekers and wants the system revamped.
He said he accepts we need a direct provision and that the system has improved over years, but testimonies from asylum seekers in Clondalkin alone, where there was a direct provision centre was appalling .
He told us: These are not people who want to come here to take money from the state, they don t come from countries where they have social welfare, they want to work. They want to have the option of contributing to society and they want to be part of society.
Updated / Tuesday, 27 Apr 2021
09:02
Investigation found that there were a number of faults in protecting children in Direct Provision
The Ombudsman for Children has said the Government is failing to put proper safeguards in place to keep children in Direct Provision safe.
An investigation in one centre found that staff members had not been vetted to work with children, despite assurances that this was the case.
There was also a failure to report a serious child protection concern, and parents were told - incorrectly - that their children could be removed by welfare services if they were not properly supervised.
One parent also raised concerns about overcrowding, a lack of safe play areas for children, the nutritional content of the food, and poor communication by centre management about facilities and how to make a complaint.
Full probe into treatment of children in Direct Provision centres needed, says Labour Senator Ivana Bacik
Labour Senator Ivana Bacik has said she is appalled by the findings of a report by the Children’s Ombudsman into the matter
Labour Senator Ivana Bacik (Image: Gareth Chaney/Collins)
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Direct Provision residents fearful their children will be taken if they make complaints Direct Provision residents don t make compaints because some fear their children will be taken away from them, according to a new report.
The Ombudsman for Children study found that staff were not trained in child protection, despite assurances that they had been, while parents were wrongly warned that their children may be removed by child protection services if they did not supervise them properly
The inquiry also reveals that a lack of interpretive services had effectively gagged parents who may have wished to make a complaint on behalf of their children.