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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 26 Mar 2002

Vol. 551 No. 2

Written Answers. - Immigrant Affairs.

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

428 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will appoint a Minister of State at his Department to deal with the co-ordination of immigrant affairs across a number of Departments. [6753/02]

The first point that must be made is that the term immigrant applies to a widely divergent group of persons from various social and economic backgrounds who are present in the State at any one time for different purposes. It includes short-term visitors, students, immigrant workers and business people, retired people who wish to see out their days in the State, refugees and asylum seekers. It comprises United Kingdom nationals who have been coming here for many years, nationals of European Economic Area countries who have in large part free movement entitlements, persons from developed countries such as the United States and persons from poorer countries. The vast majority of such persons are legally present in the State but there is no doubt that, as is the case with most developed countries, a certain number are here illegally also.

Obviously the needs of such persons vary greatly depending on their individual circumstances. In many instances, those needs would have more in common with Irish citizens of a similar socio-economic background than they would with other categories of non-nationals. It would be wrong to view all such persons as a separate generic group whose need for the services of various Government Departments and agencies can be neatly pigeonholed and limited to a couple of common themes. Consequently the provision of public services to immigrants is generally handled as part of the mainstream provision of services. This is an appropriate way to proceed in a country the size of Ireland, and is more likely to encourage integration than the provision of a separate service to immigrants.

The Government is well aware that the development of immigration policy and the delivery of an immigration service in line with that policy involves the interests of a number of Government Departments and agencies. For this reason there is a Cabinet committee chaired by an Taoiseach which meets regularly to advance that policy. In addition of course there is a senior Minister who sits at the Cabinet table, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, who has the key role in co-ordinating those interests and ensuring delivery of that service.

I have given priority attention to this task during my time in office and the Government's acknowledgement of the importance of that role is evidenced by the large increase in staff numbers which have been allocated to the asylum and immigration area of my Department. I have, for example, with Government approval, established a cross-departmental team – the Reception and Integration Agency – to co-ordinate the provision of services for asylum seekers and refugees and implement an integration policy for refugees. Staff have been seconded to the agency by the Departments of Health and Children, Environment and Local Government, Social, Community and Family Affairs, Education and Science and by health boards, local authorities, the Defence Forces and the Irish Red Cross. In addition, I have appointed an interim advisory board to the agency. The board comprises representatives of Government Departments with responsibilities for asylum seekers and refugees and representatives of the wider community.

I have established an equality infrastructure to underpin our anti-discrimination legislation, that is, the Equality Authority and the Office of Director of Equality Investigations. They provide free advice and redress to those who have suffered racial discrimination. I established the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism which has been instrumental in drawing together key Government bodies and NGO groups to address racism. I established a High Level Steering Group to implement the Government's national anti-racism awareness programme comprising,inter alia, representatives of ethnic minority communities and the social partners as well as representatives from the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Education and Science, Social Community and Family Affairs, Health and Children and my own Department. I have initiated an inclusive framework for the development of immigration policy in the context of the development of new immigration legislation which comprehends: (a) a cross-departmental group on immigration to co-ordinate Department's approaches in this area; (b) a public consultation process on immigration policy which has already taken place; and (c) a study of international legislation and practice in the field of immigration.
Over and above all that there is daily interaction between staff in my Department and staff in other Departments and agencies regarding problems in individual cases. Consequently any misguided notion that the challenges faced by the State in terms of immigration, which are no different to those being faced by every other member state of the European Union, are down to a lack of co-ordination between Departments is clearly without foundation.
With regard to the particular position of non nationals who are the victims of crime, such persons are entitled to avail of the services provided by members of the Garda Síochána in the same way that an Irish citizen is entitled to avail of those services. In that context it should be borne in mind that all student and probationer gardaí receive instruction in the area of race relations as part of their education and training programme. There are of course particular aspects of trans-national organised crime such as trafficking in persons and exploitation, which on the basis of the experience in other countries, are associated with particular classes of non national victims. This was one of the reasons that the Government approved the establishment of the Garda National Immigration Bureau in May 2000 and I can assure the Deputy that the resources necessary to protect and uphold the rights and interests of such persons are provided.
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