Asylum-seekers and refugees should have the same rights to health and social care as Irish and EU citizens, the main trade union representing staff delivering such services has said.
The IMPACT national secretary for health, Mr Kevin Callinan, said a false impression that resources were being diverted from Irish citizens to asylum-seekers could fuel intolerance. He was speaking yesterday at the announcement of IMPACT principles for the provision of services to refugees and asylum-seekers.
The principles state that asylum-seekers and refugees should not be put into separate care provision and adequate resources should be made available to asylum-seekers and Irish and EU nationals.
They also recommend that all asylum-seekers be allowed to work if their application to remain in the State as refugees is six months old.
The principles were issued at a seminar yesterday in the Coombe Women's Hospital, Dublin. It was also addressed by the hospital's master, Dr Sean Daly, and Ms Josephine Olusola, from the Irish Refugee Council. The event was part of the Anti-Racist Workplace Week organised by the Equality Authority and supported by trade unions and the Irish Business and Employers' Confederation (IBEC).
Dr Daly said non-Irish women on his wards included asylum-seekers, economic migrants and those in Ireland "purely to have a baby". These were issues for the Government. "It's not up to us to judge why people are here and why they came through our doors for care. It's up to use to give the care," he added.
Ms Olusola said the right of asylum-seekers to choose to have children should be respected. For asylum-seekers awaiting a decision on their cases, the fact that many were not allowed to work contributed to them feeling mentally burdened as they could no longer contribute to society.