Direct Provision working group is only an exercise in public relations

Last month, the CEO of the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) stepped down from the Ministerial Working Group on Direct Provision and the Protection Process.

In her resignation statement, Sue Conlan said changes to legislation proposed by members of the group had been continually resisted by the Department of Justice and Equality and that to carry on with the process would be “against the best interests of the people in the protection system now and those who will come to Ireland seeking protection in the future”.

Anti Racism Network Ireland calls on other sitting members to follow suit. At the same time, we are saddened by these developments. The State has, once again, shown its contempt for the vulnerable, its defensiveness towards those willing to work with it.