Health transport support Bill
Gerry Adams seeks publication dates for the health transport support and international protection Bills, criticising delays affecting disabled people and asylum applicants. The Taoiseach says the transport scheme will be published early next year and the international protection Bill has been approved.
We are still not clear if and when the Taoiseach will allow a debate on the one-year bankruptcy law, and I would like clarity on that. I have two other ceisteanna, on the health (transport support) Bill and the international protection Bill, respectively. The health (transport support) Bill is intended to provide for a scheme to make individual payments towards transport costs for citizens with severe disabilities. As the Taoiseach will be aware, the Government scrapped the motorised transport grant and the mobility allowance, and any citizen who was not in a scheme at that time has not had access to any transport scheme since then.
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I have raised this issue with the Taoiseach on at least half a dozen occasions. A new scheme is promised in section C of the Government's legislative programme. It is a scandal that severely disabled citizens have been denied assistance since 2013. Is there a date for the publication of the health (transport support) Bill?
On the proposed international protection Bill, the Minister for Justice and Equality brought in a proposal to the Cabinet yesterday for legislation on new powers to arrest and deport non-nationals who have not complied with deportations. There are reports that the proposed Bill will include a provision limiting the period for which immigrants have to reside in direct provision centres. While that may be-----
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Okay. It would be welcome if there were any measure to reduce the period over which people must stay in these provision centres. I have to say the arbitrary treatment of non-nationals in the past has caused-----
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I am being very fair to Deputy Adams, but the rules apply to him just as they do to everybody else when it comes to matters on the Order of Business, which is about promised legislation.
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I understand that. Can I ask my question?
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Deputy Adams will get used to it. I got used to it.
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When will the international protection Bill be published?
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In answer to Deputy Adams's first question, he will be aware that the proposed health (transport support) Bill was quite a complex legal process. The Government decided that all those who were in receipt of the assistance would remain so. The challenge here is to devise a new system for potential new entrants. That will be published early next year.
The international protection Bill was approved and passed by Government yesterday. That will mean one central point for assessment of persons who come here, which should shorten the timescale and provide a much clearer and more effective way to provide facilities and deal with those who come through the system. That Bill will be taken in the Seanad before it comes here. I expect it is a matter for the Seanad to make arrangements to deal with the international protection Bill, which was cleared and approved yesterday.