THE PARISH PRIEST of Portlaoise is set to do defy a “ban” placed on him from visiting a a direct provision centre in Co Laois tomorrow.
The Sunday Times reports this morning that Monsignor John Byrne received a phonecall from the owner of the Montague hotel direct provision centre telling him not to go ahead with a planned visit.
Byrne has been invited to attend the centre by Equality Minister Aodháin Ó Ríordáin who is visiting the centre along with local Senator John Whelan tomorrow.
It’s reported that Byrne was told not to visit the centre because staff were upset at comments he made comparing the direct provision system to an open prison.
But speaking on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics this afternoon, Ó Ríordáin said that Byrne will be joining him on the visit, adding it would be a “brave member of staff” who stops him.
“He will (be attending) and he’ll be getting in because he’s going as my guest,” said the junior minister. “I’m very impressed with Monsignor John Byrne’s comments about direct provision and I think he’s spoken as a man of compassion. He has spoken about the entirety of the system, not just this direct provision centre.”
Myself and Senator John Whelan are going to the centre tomorrow, he’s going as my guest and it’ll be a very brave member of staff who stands in his way because he’s there with me as Minister for State in the Department of Justice.
Ó Ríordáin and Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald have established a working group that will report to the government and recommend changes to the the direct provision accommodation system.
The system, which places curfews on asylum seekers, doesn’t allow them the right to work has been criticised by human rights organisations.
Last week, the High Court ruled that the direct provision system did not breach the human rights of two asylum seekers in Galway
Ó Ríordáin has previously visited a number of different centres and has made a commitment to reform of the system.
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