Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 13 Feb 2007

Vol. 631 No. 3

Adjournment Debate.

Immigration Systems.

Mr. Kelleher

In the past ten years, Ireland has seen dramatic changes. In the 1980s up to 50,000 of our best people emigrated every year. Today our society enjoys strong economic growth and prosperity but, as a result, it also faces other challenges. To address them, we must see them as opportunities. As one who supports an open and inclusive society, stretching out to Europe and beyond, I believe the immigration issue must be addressed in a positive way.

Establishing a forum on immigration would be a positive step in this regard. I propose the Government establishes a forum on immigration in which all the varying interested parties — political parties, trade unions, employers, the ESRI, voluntary groups which support immigrant communities and those with other views — can discuss the issue in a calm, rational and intelligent manner and frame public opinion and policy. The Government and Opposition parties can draw up the forum's terms of reference along the lines of the Forum for Europe.

The opportunity exists for such a forum to be inclusive and embracing and to address any problems in the undercurrent of public opinion. When immigration is raised at election time, elements can use it emotively for electoral purposes. An individual may have genuine concerns about immigration but not have the confidence to express them. These must be listened to because we cannot put our heads in the sand only to find societal problems with the issue in the next generation.

Irish people have travelled throughout the world seeking employment and new opportunities. Many of them have been the victims of racism and were not accepted by their adopted societies. The Irish in England faced many difficulties for many years. That same treatment must not be afforded to those who come to our shores. If there is a downturn in the economy, some sinister elements will exploit this emotive issue for political gain or other motives. It is important to foster a climate of respect for Irish citizens. Equally, it is important that immigrant communities contribute and know how policy decisions are made to help them fit in.

There is an onus on the Government to establish such a forum. Society must grasp the opportunity in accepting the strong feeling of goodwill towards immigrant communities and embrace them. More importantly, a positive policy must be forged to ensure all immigrants are welcomed and can make themselves feel at home. We must ensure immigration is not exploited by sinister forces.

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Parlon)

The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, welcomes Deputy Kelleher's contribution to the immigration debate. A debate on the issue has been going on for some time and the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform wants to take the opportunity to illustrate to those who may not have been engaged in it so far, the various ways in which it has been proceeding.

In April 2005, the Tánaiste launched a public consultation process on the subject of immigration. The vehicle for this consultation process was a policy document, Immigration and Residence in Ireland, which he published outlining the Government's proposals for addressing the immigration system in a comprehensive and holistic way. In addition to dealing with the individual areas of the immigration system from initial visa application to long-term residence, the document also set out the core principles underpinning an immigration policy. These included the following: maintaining the safety and security of the State and its residents, promoting the common good, managing migration in an orderly fashion to serve the economic and social needs of the State and its residents, protecting human rights, protecting and developing Ireland's international relations, ensuring fair treatment of persons, achieving reasonable standards of transparency and providing satisfactory standards of service.

More than 120 organisations and individuals made submissions as part of the process, reflecting a wide range of concerns and interests in the immigration system. Following on from this, new legislation is being drafted that will overhaul existing legislation in this area, replacing six Acts going back as far as 1935. Last September, the Tánaiste obtained the Government's approval to publish the outline scheme for the new legislation. He invited interested parties to make contributions on the legislation's contents. The Tánaiste also forwarded the scheme of the Bill to the Human Rights Commission for its comments. It is intended that the immigration residence and protection Bill will be published shortly.

In the past month there were two notable and successful public events regarding immigration. On 27 January, the Tánaiste outlined to a conference organised by the Law Society of Ireland, the Government's approach on immigration, residence and protection. The conference, New Rules for the New Irish, was open to the public and was oversubscribed. It featured contributions, not only from the Tánaiste, but also from a wide range of contributors from the platform and the floor. The Tánaiste also arranged for some of his officials to make presentations and to take questions from the public.

On 1 February, another public conference on the related matter of integration was held in Dublin Castle. This was co-organised by the UNHCR and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform through its refugee integration agency. Attendance was broadly based and included academics, churches, intergovernmental organisations, NGOs in the immigration area, various interest groups, civil servants and migrants. It also included speakers from the administrations of Denmark and the Netherlands who shared their countries' experiences in this important area. Interactive workshops were organised where groups of participants exchanged views in an informal setting. The Tánaiste is amenable to the Department continuing to participate in and organise such events.

The debate is also carried on, locally and nationally, on television, radio and through newspapers. Deputy Kelleher referred to providing an environment for organisations, including political parties, to express their views on immigration. The Houses of the Oireachtas represent one element of that environment as far as political parties are concerned. The new legislation will help provide a real opportunity to have a wide-ranging discussion on the subject.

The Tánaiste does not see the need for a new structure to facilitate a debate on immigration. The debate is already taking place and there are many opportunities to participate in it. It is important all groups involved in this area and others take the opportunity to engage in that process.

Flood Relief.

Mr. Healy

I thank the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to raise this important subject. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, who is directly responsible for this matter. I hope he will be able to provide an answer to a straightforward question. When will the Minister for Finance approve funding for the Clonmel flood alleviation scheme? There is great frustration and anger in Clonmel because of the way this issue was handled, particularly in the last 12 months. We were promised that work would begin last September and when this did not happen, we were told it would start in the spring. Spring has come but there is still no sign of approval for the funding and commencement of the scheme.

I hope the Minister of State will confirm that the Minister has approved the funding and that the scheme will commence as early as possible and not later than this spring. In other words, construction must begin either this month or next. The Minister of State is aware that the flooding situation in Clonmel is absolutely horrendous. It was 12 years last Friday since approval was sought for this scheme. I was mayor of the town when I chaired a public meeting on 9 February 1995 to consider a proposal to close the local Kickham Barracks. We emerged from this meeting to discover the town had been flooded in the course of some 90 minutes. I live on the far side of the town, in the Old Bridge area, and was only able to return home with the help of the Army, members of which have done Trojan work in this area over the years.

There have been floods in Clonmel, to a greater or lesser extent, every year since 1995. The quays were flooded again this year and damage amounting to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of euro was done to homes and businesses. As the Minister of State well knows, it is not possible to obtain insurance cover in parts of Clonmel that are prone to flooding, including the Old Bridge area, O'Connell Terrace, the quays, Irishtown and Parnell Street, where significant numbers of homes and businesses have been flooded over the years. Residents and businesses in these areas have no way to secure insurance having been refused by all the insurance companies. They had to rely time and again on moneys from the Red Cross — assistance that was welcome although not enough to cover the losses they suffered.

We were promised construction of this scheme would commence last September. In reply to a parliamentary question late last year, the Minister of State told me that this commencement date had not been possible but that work would definitely commence in the spring. No moneys have been provided for this purpose, however. Will the Minister of State give a commitment that the funding will be provided and that the scheme will commence this spring, that is, this month or next at the latest?

Mr. Parlon

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for the opportunity to update the House on progress. The Office of Public Works has worked with the local authorities in Clonmel in recent years in developing proposals that would lead to the alleviation of the severe flooding which has existed there for a long time. Deputy Healy outlined the problem in great detail. However, I do not recall any flood incident this year.

Mr. Healy

The quays were flooded this year as they have been every year since 1995.

Mr. Parlon

I am not aware of any flood incident in the last year. Deputy Healy is exaggerating the situation.

Mr. Healy

I am not exaggerating; the quays were impassable.

Mr. Parlon

In May 2005, the OPW exhibited a set of proposals for dealing with the flooding problem in Clonmel. These proposals included the construction of new walls, embankments and surface water systems, bridge replacements and new supporting walls to accept demountable flood barriers. The entire project is broken into three separate schemes. As there will be extensive use of demountable barriers in these schemes, the OPW commenced the design of an early flood warning system in 2005 in order to have a system in place which the local authority would have confidence in when the first scheme is completed. The system is still undergoing development but has already proven consistent.

The first scheme for implementation is the Clonmel west scheme. Before construction can commence on the scheme, the proposals must be confirmed by the Minister for Finance, as required by the Arterial Drainage Acts. The documents relating to the confirmation of the scheme were forwarded to the Department of Finance and are being considered. The Clonmel west scheme is estimated to cost approximately €16 million, and provision has been made for this within the OPW's budget for flood relief activities. Tenders have already been received for the embankment elements of the west scheme and once the scheme is confirmed, the OPW expects to commence those works within a matter of weeks thereafter. The main Clonmel west contract would then be expected to commence in the third quarter of 2007 and last for 18 months.

When construction on the Clonmel west scheme is under way, detailed design will commence on the Clonmel north scheme. It is anticipated that construction of that scheme will commence on completion of the west scheme. Similarly, detailed design of the Clonmel east scheme is intended to commence once construction of the north scheme is under way.

The Deputy may be pleased to learn that I have also agreed to fund a separate contract to be carried out by Clonmel Borough Council for the removal of trees along the channel. I understand the necessary surveys are being carried out with a view to undertaking these works later this year during the next environmental window.

Mr. Healy

When will the moneys be made available?

Job Losses.

Mr. McGinley

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me once again to raise the matter of the haemorrhage of job losses throughout Donegal. I refer in particular to losses in Donegal town and south Donegal. It is almost two years since Hospira in Donegal town announced its intention to cease production with a loss of 560 jobs. In February last year, Magee, one of the flagship companies of the Donegal textile industry, established there for more than 100 years, announced that 60 workers would be made redundant in its production sector. These two announcements dealt a body blow not only to the economy of Donegal town and south Donegal but to the confidence of the entire community, particularly the business community.

These job losses in Donegal town are only the tip of the iceberg that is the long litany of losses throughout County Donegal in the ten years since this Government and its predecessor took office. A conservative estimate is that during these ten years, 12,000 jobs were lost throughout the county. This leaves Donegal with four to five times the national unemployment rate.

Some of the job losses include 3,500 at Fruit of the Loom, 700 at Unifi in Letterkenny, 200 at Comerama in my parish, 70 at the Donegal Shirt Company, 120 at Jaybees, 140 at Nenagh Models in Castlefin, 66 at Herdman's in Ballbofey, 115 at Dianorm in Gweedore, 300 at Ruibéar Motair Teoranta, 50 at Europlas, 280 at Qualtron, 120 at BMR and 55 at Donegal Parian China in Ballyshannon. The list goes on. In 1998, a task force report called for the creation of 9,000 jobs by the end of 2005. In 2007, however, only 1,000 jobs have been created. That is the record of the Government. That is why I continuously raise it in the House.

Over three years ago Donegal town was designated as a decentralisation location for 200 staff of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. These jobs were to have been decentralised to Donegal town by the end of last year. It is now 2007 and not one job has been relocated to Donegal town. What has happened to those 200 jobs? Is there a town in Ireland which deserves to be given a higher priority than a town which has lost 700 or 800 jobs in the past two years? No wonder the town and its hinterland feel forgotten, ignored and overlooked. We regularly hear of multinationals deciding to locate in other parts of this country, and good luck to them. Time and again, Donegal, particularly Donegal town, seem to be overlooked.

There have been task force reports and interdepartmental committees but we are still waiting for some concrete results on the jobs front. Donegal has so much to offer interested industries. It has a highly skilled workforce, excellent industrial relations and two first rate IT centres in the north west — one in Letterkenny and one in Sligo. Unfortunately, 90% or more of the graduates from Letterkenny IT have had to leave the county to use their skills elsewhere. The price of housing is among the most competitive in the country. The environment is pleasant and the roads are improving yet we are still unable to attract these jobs.

An innovative solution which I advocated in the House as recently as last week is to apply a tax exemption which is already operational in the upper and mid-Shannon basins. There is no reason it should not be extended to County Donegal. It is already available in County Leitrim, the only county in the Republic with which we have a land border. It would be natural and practical to extend it to County Donegal. If that was done, it would generate much inward investment and activity and would create badly needed jobs in Donegal and in the tourism industry.

I appeal to the Minister to get in touch with the agencies and address the crying need for employment in the area. In many families the sole bread winner has been employed in one of these factories — in Hospira or Magee. Many of them have financial demands such as mortgages and the cost of educating their children. The constituency has two Ministers but it has been overlooked, ignored and taken for granted. I ask the Minister of State to outline what he, his Department and the Government are doing to redress this unemployment imbalance in Donegal.

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Mr. M. Ahern)

I thank Deputy McGinley for raising this matter. I can empathise with him as my own town of Youghal has lost over 760 jobs in the past two to three years so I understand the problems facing him. My sympathies lie with the workers who lost their jobs with Hospira and Magee. However, I am pleased to say that since Hospira made its announcement in respect of its Donegal plant, IDA Ireland has been working closely with the company to secure a replacement for the facility and has been very successful in this regard.

In March 2006, Abbott, one of the world's largest health care companies, announced that it was acquiring the facility from Hospira and that it planned to make a €36 million investment with the support of IDA Ireland to establish a manufacturing facility for its diabetes care products in Donegal town. This new investment will create 155 high quality jobs at full production. Abbott has now taken possession of the plant and the recruitment of key executives is under way along with the redevelopment of the site to meet the requirements of the new company.

The role of FÁS, the industrial training agency, is of particular importance in providing assistance and the agency's full range of services are made available to workers facing redundancy. FÁS has conducted on-site interviews with the staff of both Hospira and Magee. A total of 322 staff were interviewed from both companies, of which 150 are currently on FÁS training courses and a further 50 are on customised training. FÁS continues to make its full range of services available to all those made redundant.

As regards employment generally in Donegal, in July 2006 the Minister, Deputy Martin, published the report of the interdepartmental group on Donegal. This group was established at the request of the Government following a number of major job losses in the county in recent years. The group was asked to focus on the progress being made on infrastructural requirements to make Donegal a more attractive location for enterprise creation, particularly as it makes the transition from traditional to more modern and higher value-added industries.

The report showed that Donegal has no shortage of advantages and opportunities in so far as the promise of a brighter future for its inhabitants is concerned. There is a dynamic combination of State development agencies active in Donegal which are committed to enhancing the attractiveness of the county for business. These agencies have demonstrated the ability to provide a clear vision and focus for future economic development. IDA Ireland aims to pursue more knowledge-based greenfield foreign direct investment for Donegal and to convince existing IDA clients to transform their current operations into higher-value activities.

Enterprise Ireland will encourage and assist more innovative, technology-led companies and promote a greater level of start-up activity. These actions are in response to the challenges facing traditional industry in the county which is under pressure for competitiveness reasons and both agencies, as well as Údarás na Gaeltachta, are endeavouring to meet these challenges.

Enterprise Ireland has also been very active in supporting the development of community enterprise centres in the north-west region which are critical to continued enterprise development in rural areas and to the development of an entrepreneurial culture. Nine community enterprise centres in County Donegal have received funding of approximately €2 million under the community enterprise centre scheme to date. In the 2006 scheme, four applications were received from Donegal and funding was approved for two new centres. Donegal town community chamber received approval for €350,000 for the development of an 8,000 sq. ft. enterprise centre which is currently at the planning stage. This centre will act as a key resource in nurturing business start-ups and in enhancing the environment for the incubation of new business ideas. Approval was also given for funding of €300,000 for the development of a 10,000sq. ft. community enterprise centre in Carndonagh.

Also at Donegal town, IDA Ireland has commissioned architects to design a 1,000 sq. m. office building at Lurganbuoy. IDA has applied for planning for the building and a decision from Donegal County Council is imminent. It is planned to enter discussion with the private sector regarding the construction and provision of this building as soon as planning is received and I am confident that a substantial number of new jobs will arise from this initiative.

In Ballyshannon, IDA Ireland has undertaken a significant amount of site development work on the industrial estate and this work is now complete. The county enterprise board will continue to provide existing and new supports to micro-enterprises complementing the work of both IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland.

The provision of much needed infrastructure has been highlighted as an obstacle to job creation in Donegal over a number of years. I was pleased the interdepartmental report highlighted several developments under way or planned in the areas of roads and air transport, water supply and treatment, broadband, energy and education. These have been solidified and strengthened in the recently launched National Development Plan 2007-2013. Particular emphasis has also been placed in the national development plan on North-South co-operation and developments which will be a direct benefit to Donegal. An important study on the development of the all-island economy has recently been completed and this sets out a clear and strong economic rationale for all-island economic activity.

InterTradeIreland, the all-island trade and business development body set up under the Good Friday Agreement, is supporting the development of key business networks on the island of Ireland, including the North West Science and Technology Partnership. This partnership between industry, academia and other key stakeholders is focused on strengthening science and technology-based innovation and business in the north west. I am confident we will see major advantages for Donegal flowing from continuing progress to follow the re-establishment of the political institutions in Northern Ireland.

The north-west region is a priority area for IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland as the agencies continue to market this region strongly for new investment. The job creation achieved over the past year is largely as a result of the ongoing commitment to Donegal by the State development agencies which will continue this commitment into the future. The Deputy will be aware that there have been significant employment developments for Donegal recently. In addition to the Abbott announcement, recent major job announcements include SITA, ZEUS, PowerBoard and AssetCo.

I assure the Deputy that the Government and the State development agencies are fully committed to fostering the environment for job creation in Donegal.

Special Educational Needs.

Mr. Howlin

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise a simple but urgent matter. The matter I raise affects only one child and one family but it does so in a most profound way. I do not often seek to raise a matter on the Adjournment and while I welcome the Minister of State with responsibility for trade, it is disquieting that the only Adjournment matter which will not be responded to by the line Minister concerns autism and the fundamental needs of a child and a family. That speaks volumes. Autism is one of the most profoundly troubling issues facing families across the country and creates enormous and relentless difficulties. It behoves us as a society to give every possible support to families who want to engage with autistic children and provide them with the best possible start because evidence has shown the importance of giving them the right support at the earliest stage of their lives.

I will not mention the name of the family whom I wish to highlight. They found a suitable home tutor for their child in September 2005. The tutor was sourced with the help of the Cottage Autism Network in Wexford, an extremely reputable and well-respected network supporting families with autistic children. The tutor in question also assists other children.

It is obvious that time is required for autistic children to get used to a tutor. The family is absolutely satisfied with the child's tutor and the remarkable and real progress the child has made since September 2005. The mother of the child wrote a letter to me to say her child had made huge progress since she started with the tutor. Previously she had suffered from many behavioural problems but, with the right treatment, they had disappeared. The tutor was helping her to label everything, which had allowed the child to ask for food, a great relief for the family.

The tutor showed the mother how to teach her daughter. While it took a long time to trust somebody coming into her home to get to know her child, remarkable progress was being made until the Department of Education and Science intervened. Sanction was given to keep the tutor only until 27 July 2007, the problem being the tutor's qualifications. The Department has determined that the tutor's qualifications do not tick the boxes it requires. The Department has no regard for the real progress the child is making and for the bond that has taken some time to establish. It said it would continue to fund a tutor but that the family must find someone else.

I have the testimonials and qualifications for the tutor in question, from eminent psychologists and experts in child intervention and learning processes and programmes. Such people know the work of the tutor in question and assert the tutor's merit and value. Apparently this is insufficient for the Department of Education and Science. The parents have been told to find somebody else by 27 July. They have no knowledge even of how to access somebody else and they have absolutely no wish to do so. They want their child to continue to progress, to use the bond with an existing tutor who is well regarded within the autistic community, is well-qualified and is doing the job.

I appeal to the Minister of State to pass on the details of the case to the Minister for Education and Science and her Department. I had hoped she or one of her Ministers of State might have been present for this debate. The Department should relent and consider the substance of this case. It should allow this practical solution to continue, so real help can continue to be given to this real child and real family.

Mr. M. Ahern

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter as it provides me with the opportunity to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Science on the qualifications of home tuition providers under the home tuition scheme.

The home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also to provide early educational intervention for pre-school children with autism. The Deputy will appreciate that, as home tuition takes place outside of the normal school framework, there is need to ensure that tuition providers are appropriately qualified to give education to the children concerned. The usual requirement is for a fully-qualified teacher.

A recent review of a number of applications for home tuition highlighted some cause for concern regarding the qualifications of proposed tuition providers. The review determined that most of the nominated tuition providers were suitably qualified but over 130 had less than satisfactory qualifications. For example, some did not have a leaving certificate level of education while others had no post-school qualifications.

Parents and guardians who had nominated tuition providers with qualifications other than teaching qualifications were advised that these tuition providers were being accepted for the first school term, from September to December 2006, to allow time to undertake the review. Following the review of qualifications, which took place in consultation with the Department's inspectorate, an extended list of qualifications acceptable under the scheme for children with autism was published. This list is available on the Department of Education and Science website.

Aside from recognised teaching qualifications such as the bachelor in education and approved Montessori training, the list includes certain qualifications in autism and in applied approaches to teaching children with autism, such as ABA, PECS and TEACCH. Third level qualifications in relevant areas such as psychology may also be appropriate depending on circumstances. The tutor referred to by the Deputy is not a qualified teacher and does not have a qualification acceptable under the scheme.

Mr. Howlin

So there is no flexibility.

Mr. M. Ahern

Therefore the parent of the pupil concerned was advised of the need to recruit a tuition provider with suitable qualifications.

Mr. Howlin

From where?

Mr. M. Ahern

I will take the Deputy's concerns to the Minister.

Mr. Howlin

Please do.

Mr. M. Ahern

However, in order to accommodate difficulties anticipated in sourcing a qualified tuition provider, an extension of sanction with the current tutor was given until the end of this school year. It is in the interests of children that home tutors funded under this scheme be appropriately qualified tuition providers. It is for this reason tuition providers will be required to meet the minimum qualification standard for the 2007-08 school year.

I thank the Deputy again for giving me the opportunity to clarify the position of the Department of Education and Science. I will consider the points he has made and raise them with the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin.

The Dáil adjourned at 10.40 p.m. until10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 14 February 2007.