I was recently very pleased to welcome a group of women from the Mosney direct provision centre to Leinster House. The women had completed a communications skills development course and I had the pleasure of presenting them with their completion certificates.
In visiting Leinster House, the women had an opportunity to learn more about public life in Ireland and our systems of government. The women met with several other public representatives and spoke of the challenges of life inside the direct provision centres and in being separated from their families and communities.
All the women demonstrated a clear commitment to continuing their learning while in the direct provision centre and in learning as much as they can about Ireland and the local community that they were living in. They also spoke of their frustration of being unable to give back to Irish society through working.
I am grateful to them for sharing their experiences with me and with my colleagues in Leinster House and intend to continue to advocate for dismantling of direct provision and the full implementation of the McMahon Report.
Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, leader of the Civil Engagement Group and chair of the Oireachtas Peace Neutrality and Disarmament group has extended her warm congratulations to former Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos, who was awarded the Tipperary Peace Prize last Friday.
On International Data Protection Day 2021, Independent Senator Alice-Mary Higgins has called for establishment of a new Data Awareness and Digital Empowerment Fund, to include money ringfenced from GDPR fines.
Senator Higgins said: “The strengthening in Data Protection we have seen in recent years is as much about transparency and control as it is about privacy. Laws such as GDPR give individuals greater access to their own personal data and a say in how it is used. At its best this goes beyond protection to empowerment.
