25 May 2015, 13:10
Committee receives Public Institution Award for work on Direct Provision
25 May 2015
The Oireachtas Public Services Oversight and Petitions was awarded the prestigious Africa Day Public Institution Award at an awards ceremony on Saturday evening last.
The award was granted to the Committee in recognition of its contribution to discussions about direct provision system. Earlier this month, a Committee report said that the system was not fit for purpose and required robust independent oversight. Its publication followed a series of meetings in Leinster House and site visits to four direct provision centres in 2015.
The judging panel – comprising Manu Madeira, Niall Crowley and Salome Mbugua - commended the Committee for the leadership it has shown in highlighting this issue and recommending for an end to it.
Committee Chairman Pádraig Mac Lochlainn says: “It was a genuine honour to accept this Africa Day Award on behalf of the cross-party Committee on Saturday night. The judging panel decided to bestow the Committee the public institution award for our work in highlighting the serious flaws in Ireland’s direct provision system. Many of those we met while visiting the centres were people of African origin who outlined their experiences of direct provision. Their heartfelt stories flowed into a report which pulled no punches in criticising the current system. I proudly accepted this award in Dublin at the Africa Day Awards ceremony on Saturday and, as a Committee, we intend to follow up in the coming months to ensure that the recommendations contained in our report are progressed.”
Media enquiries to:
Paul Hand,
Communications Unit,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
P: +3531 618 4484
M: +353 87 694 9926
Committee Membership
Deputies:
Richard Boyd-Barrett, Independent
Noel Harrington, Fine Gael
Michael Healy-Rae, Independent
Seamus Kirk, Fianna Fáil
Michael P. Kitt, Fianna Fáil
Pádraig MacLochlainn (Chairman), Sinn Féin
Helen McEntee, Fine Gael
Michelle Mulherin, Fine Gael
Derek Nolan (Vice-Chair), Labour
Patrick O'Donovan, Fine Gael
Aengus Ó Snodaigh, Sinn Féin
Sean Kenny, Labour
John Halligan, Independent
Jack Wall, Labour
Senators:
Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, Sinn Féin
Jimmy Harte, Labour
Tony Mulcahy, Fine Gael
Susan O’Keeffe, Labour
Ned O'Sullivan, Fianna Fáil