Page 6 - Irish Examiner USA

newsexaminer
6

2019 RSA Analysis Shows Frightening Rise Direct Provision ‘Biggest Shame On Irish
State’ Since Magdalene Laundries
9th, Of Drug-Driving In Ireland
October he Road Safety ers at the roadside and in the major problem on our roads.

| Authority (RSA) has Garda station. We will continue to educate
“It’s clear that its introduc-
Trevealed that drug- tion has resulted in an drivers on the dangers of driv-
EXAMINER on Ireland’s roads. increase in drug driving detec- drugs and work closely with
driving is a major problem
ing under the influence of
the Gardaí to support their
At their annual Academic
tions, but the results present-
ed today show that a contin-
Lecture, the RSA showed that
enforcement activity.
“But we will do more to
IRISH 68% of drivers with a positive ued enforcement and educa- examine the factors around
tion effort is required to tack-
roadside drug test between
drug driving and examine
le this killer behaviour.”
April 2017 and July 2019 had a
positive test for cannabis. Moyagh Murdock, Chief international best practice to The Direct Provision system for asylum seekers is one of the
Cocaine is next with 37%. Executive of the RSA said: find interventions that can be biggest shames on the Irish state since the Magdalene
They said that the Medical “It’s concerning, because they applied here to tackle drug Laundries, a conference has heard.
Bureau of Road Safety confirm that drug driving is a driving.” C Masi, the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland, held a
(MBRS) findings show conference in Dublin on Saturday calling for an end to the
cannabis is now not far
behind alcohol in blood and Direct Provision system and reform asylum process.
urine samples it examined. There are more than 6,000 asylum seekers placed in 37
Minister for Transport, Direct Provision centers across Ireland, with around 1,400 in
Shane Ross, said: “Driving emergency accommodation such as hotels and B&Bs.
under the influence of drugs Adults living in asylum centers across the state receive a
has been a statutory offense daily expenses allowance of 38.80 euro per week, while chil-
since 1961 but it wasn’t until dren will receive 29.80 euro.
2017, with the introduction of Bulelani Mfaco, of Masi, said the Direct Provision system
Preliminary Drug Testing, will be seen in years to come as “the biggest shame on the state
that we had a drug testing since the Magdalene Laundries”.
device capable of testing for In 2013, then taoiseach Enda Kenny apologized unreserved-
the presence of drugs in driv- ly on behalf of the state to the survivors of the Magdalene
Laundries for the hurt they endured and for any stigma they
suffered as a result of the time they spent in the laundries.
“People living in Direct Provision have had to flee the coun-
try through no fault of their own. None of them came to
Ireland to be warehoused in a Direct Provision Center and live
in state sponsored poverty where they are denied the right to
work and earn a living,” Mr Mfaco said.
“In several years’ time, the Irish state will be apologizing to
asylum seekers for the conditions they put them in as they did
with the women in the Magdalene Laundries,” he added.
Earlier this week, Tánaiste Simon Coveney said people call-
ing for an end to the direct provision system “are not living in
the real world”.
Mr Coveney defended the system and said the centers are
“significantly better in terms of standard than many other
countries”.
“People calling for an end to direct provision as if somehow
we can magic over 7,000 people out of direct provision and into
their own homes overnight; that is just not living in the real
world,” he told the Foreign Affairs committee.
Mr Mfaco said the it is concerning that a senior Government
minister has stated there is no alternative to Direct Provision.
“I find it appalling that he would say that and how ignorant
he could be to the plight of people living in Direct Provision. It
shows us how out of touch he and his Government are,” he
said.
“The Department of Justice and Equality must phase out
Direct Provision and integrate asylum seekers into the commu-
nity as per the recommendation by the Special Rapporteur on
Child Protection.
“The excuse that there are no alternatives when the Irish
government is spending as much as 100 euro per day for each
asylum seeker living in hotels around the country is nonsensi-
cal.
“Particularly when you consider that the government has
spent over one billion euro on Direct Provision enriching cor-
porations, hotels, and landlords at the expense of taxpayers and
asylum seekers,” he said. C