Written commitments for hunger strikers
Deputy Cummins seeks written guarantees for four hunger strikers, warning that delays are undermining trust; the Tánaiste says the Government is engaging through a mediator and urges them to end the strike.
It is day 47 and four people are outside the House, as has been previously stated. Their requests are not huge. They are getting conflicting information. Sometimes agreements are made, then it is changing and it is back again. This is causing trust issues. When agreements are not written down, they can change. They need to be written down.
Yesterday, they were very happy with the meeting with the mediator. The difficulty is the mediator is not available until next week. That leaves another week. We are now on day 47 so we will be up to the mid-50s at that stage. They are steadfast in their hunger strike and will not stop until it is in writing. I am incredulous that this is taking so long. I know the Tánaiste is trying his best but I want him to try harder. Where is the humanity? These people were wronged in childhood and are being wronged now in adulthood. Can this be put in writing by the end of this week so these people do not have to go into another weekend, staying outside in the cold and starving?
Comment on this
I assure the Deputy this is receiving a lot of attention, as it should, from Government and the State. We want to see this resolved. I understand a mediator met with the group this week - I think on Wednesday. There is work following on and flowing from that. I really understand the emotion and sensitivity of this but I would urge - I think it is the responsible thing for me to urge - people to come off hunger strike. I understand the depth of feeling, the pain and suffering. I get that, but if people could come off hunger strike we are wanting to see engagement in good faith. We want to see the health and well-being of the people.
On the issue of a written update, I will just need to check on that. I am not certain of where that is at. I understand a mediator met the group this week and there was to be follow-up work and then further engagement. Let me see if there can be any steps to give people the confidence to come off that hunger strike but I would really urge people to do that. We want to see engagement in good faith to try and resolve this and that is why a mediator has been appointed.