In recent weeks there was vote of no confidence in the present Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The immigration issue has been discussed at length. It is obvious that there is a conflict of opinion within the Cabinet about the matter. The Progressive Democrats Party has said that it will launch its policy in the next two weeks. It will be interesting to see if becomes Government policy.
There is no doubt that we need a formal immigration policy. At present there is an ad hoc, reactive situation. There is no coherent policy at all. It is time, in light of the numbers of immigrants who are now arriving in Dublin, to get our act together. Human rights must be a firm plank of any new policy. We must recognise that people, whether they are seeking asylum for political reasons or they are economic migrants, must be treated properly.
In April and May of this year we welcomed refugees from Kosovo. We could see the situation in their country on the television news. We all welcomed the fact that we were able to do something to help these people in a humane manner, that we were able to provide accommodation, support and everything necessary for people who have left their own country. Many people who leave their country would not choose to do that but feel they have to do it.
It is important to put this in context. Ireland has a history of emigration. In Cobh there is a heritage centre to remind us of the coffin ships and what people went through when they left this country. There were no means of support for them here and they had to leave in droves. They were accepted into the United States. They established themselves there and now Irish culture is a major influence in America. In recent years there have been many American visas issued to this country. We have all made representations on behalf of people we know and we are all aware of the work being done by people such as Ted Kennedy, Tip O'Neill, Daniel Moynihan. We all welcomed the Morrison visas at a time when people could not find work in this country. This country could not support those people so they emigrated.
We should look at immigrants in that context. We should think about how they can improve our society. Many of these people have qualifications which would help alleviate the skills shortage we now face.
Employers cannot recruit people, yet many asylum seekers would welcome the opportunity to work. Unfortunately, the system appears to be stagnant. It cannot process all the applications.
The Government needs to move the operation out of Dublin. The Eastern Health Board one-stop-shop in Dublin has to deal with everything. It is not working. There have been queues resulting in the inhumane treatment of people who have been left to stand in the rain. There are no facilities to deal with children, there is not anybody to explain what is happening and shutters are being pulled down at 5 o'clock in the evening. That is not the kind of image most people want to see, nor do they want to see the country dealing with asylum seekers in this way.
The purpose of the Bill is to crack down on trafficking in illegal immigrants. I appreciate the necessity for a form of control because some unfortunate asylum seekers are abused. I understand some Romanians had to pay an initial transportation fee and then make payments from their social welfare entitlements. It is necessary to clamp down on that.
However, I and my party are wary of the possible implications of the legislation. Does it mean that Aer Lingus staff or Irish Ferries operators will be impounded? We will look at that on Committee Stage.
We need a humane approach to this problem. We must recognise that travellers to the country face a language barrier, different customs, culture and background. Their health also needs to be addressed. People travelling to a strange country need support. Asylum seekers can wait for up to seven years to have their applications processed. That must be addressed. We must also develop a coherent immigration policy. We should not have to respond to crises.