Who is leading for the Independents 4 Change?

They should toss a coin.

I beg your pardon. The question I want to ask has been prompted by two developments. The first is the actions and words of President Trump in regard to refugees, the ban on refugees coming from Syria and on other refugees from Muslim-majority countries, and also by the world reaction to his words. With very few exceptions, the reaction has been one of anger and condemnation because we are all very concerned with this attack on the rights of refugees to flee war and oppression. It goes against the principles of the American Declaration of Independence. It also reneges on international obligations. Ireland also protested and various Ministers were vocal in stating it was wrong to treat people on the basis of their religion or nationality and that we have to stand by refugees and asylum seekers.

We were saying all the right things but the words do not stand up when we consider the particular ways in which we are treating refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in this country. We are also part of some very questionable EU agreements. For example, the EU-Turkey agreement continues to come in for criticism, yet at the same time the EU is considering one with Libya on refugees. That goes against what the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights said, namely, that sending people back to Libya or to countries that have not signed the Geneva Convention should always be avoided.

We have low rates of acceptance of asylum seekers. It is less than half the European average. We have been slow in taking in the Syrian refugees and there are delays with family reunification. While there has been movement on direct provision, the current figure is 4,300.

I want to highlight the matter of the serious shortcomings and the issues that continue for young people who are growing up in the asylum system in Ireland. If those issues continue to be unaddressed, then our protest against President Trump's actions continues to be hypocritical.

The migrant integration strategy, which the Tánaiste has just launched, is welcome as a step in the right direction, and the Tánaiste said that this is the first step. However, our immigration system is not addressing a wide range of situations in which children and young people find themselves. There is also a need to consider the position of these young people, irrespective of their parents' status. There is also need to consider the position of those who are in State care if their status has not been resolved by the time they reach the age of 18. There is a need for clarity, consistency and for the provision of information and knowledge that is easily acceptable.

I would draw the Tánaiste's attention, if she has not seen it already, to a report from the Immigrant Council of Ireland in December 2016. It was based on case studies involving a number of these young people. It was also based on conversations and engagements with professionals who work with them. The report is very clear on the issues and on the detailed recommendations on how the system needs to be reformed. It is a piece of work that still waits to be done and I ask that this would be treated with urgency.

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising those matters. Clearly, the whole international refugee crisis is one of the biggest challenges of our time, with 65 million people on the move across the world and huge numbers having arrived in Europe having crossed the Mediterranean and having used other routes. It is one of the biggest crises that the EU has faced in terms of its response.

Regarding President Trump, I would have a huge concern about a blanket ban on refugees. I met the Syrian Support Group in Ireland yesterday and to hear the individual stories about what those families have been through and their relatives who still remain in Aleppo and other parts of Syria and who are spread around the world at this point is absolutely heart-breaking. We all have to reach out as much as we possibly can. In that regard, Ireland's commitment was a proactive one within the European Union. We were not under any obligation to take refugees, although I think everybody would agree that it was the right thing to do. We have approximately 80 Syrians arriving every few weeks in Ireland. When I meet those families, the first thing the vast majority of them ask is when their children can start school. They have the same wishes and hopes that every other family in this country would have.

We have been very fortunate in this country that we have not seen extreme views expressed and that communities are supportive of those who arrive on our shores. Approximately 95,000 people have been naturalised in recent years and we have had quite a number of asylum seekers arrive here.

Many improvements have been made in regard to direct provision but I accept that there is ongoing work to be done. We have a new International Protection Act which simplifies the procedure for those coming through. The status of those who are arriving now is dealt with within six to ten weeks and then we have to deal with the issues around housing and education and so on. There are particular issues in regard to children and my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Zappone, has been intent on ensuing any unaccompanied minors who we bring into this country get comprehensive services. I examined this issue in detail some years ago and there have been great improvements, as the Deputy will know, within the HSE in terms of the way that unaccompanied minors are now dealt with, where they live with foster families instead of in hostels. That is quite a dramatic change from the way these young children were being dealt with. I take the point that the Deputy made.

We launched the new migrant integration strategy two days ago, which was welcomed by all of the groups working in this area. That has been well received but we have to make sure it is implemented.

I certainly will examine the details of the Immigrant Council of Ireland's report in regard to young people. We want to offer these young people and newly arrived immigrants, refugees and migrants the very best services we can offer both at a national level and a local level. Much will depend on local services responding appropriately and reaching out to these families in order that they get the health and education services they need and the English language training. That is happening for these new arrivals.

I want to focus on those who are in the asylum system as we speak. Some of them have been in this country for seven, eight and more years. Many of them have no memory of their country of origin. They consider them to be Irish. A young person's immigration status will define and determine his or her life. It will determine their access to education, social services, employment and housing.

I draw the Minister's attention to the Young People at Risk, YPAR, organisation in Dublin Central. The Minister, Deputy Zappone, launched its two-day conference recently in the Gresham Hotel. Those foreign national young people were speaking of their situation as it is now. They have come through primary and secondary level but they cannot access third level. They cannot go to work. Even those of them who can access the small amount of funding that is needed for a post-leaving certificate course, on having acquired a skill on having completed that course, they cannot use it because they cannot work. These young people want to contribute to Ireland in the same way as Irish migrants throughout the years have contributed to other countries where they lived. There is need to consider introducing an amnesty here in the same way that we are seeking one for the undocumented Irish in the United States. These young people refer to themselves as "ghosts". Their plea from the conference was that they do not want pity, they want regularisation.

I want to put on the record of the House that when Judge McMahon did his report, which we launched some time ago, the big concern was the length of time people were spending in direct provision. The reality is that those numbers have dramatically decreased since the report was launched. There are very few people left in the system who have been here longer than the five-year mark, for example, except those who are taking judicial reviews. Therefore, the vast majority of these situations have been dealt with, and the new people arriving will now have their statuses dealt with in a far faster way, so we will not have the issue of people being here for long periods without their applications being processed and final decisions made. That is very important. The situation has changed. I put the figures into the public arena at a conference last week. The changes to the length of time people are spending in direct provision are very dramatic. Regarding the point the Deputy made about these young people, what is important is that they get their applications cleared quickly. Once they are refugees, of course they can work. They are not ghosts. They can be part of ordinary society. However, there are transitional points. We need to support the organisations working with these people and we are increasing the support we are giving to those organisations.