IRISH BISHOPS HAVE spoken out on Direct Provision, saying they want “urgent action” on the issue.

In a statement released to mark International Human Rights Day, the Irish Bishops’ Conference called for the urgent protection of human rights and the “upholding of the dignity of the human person”.

That includes “people living in poverty, asylum seekers living in Ireland, other displaced people around the world, and for those subjected to human trafficking”.

The statement also focuses specifically on the issue of Direct Provision in Ireland.

Locally we can see the clear and urgent need for the Irish and British governments to recognise and address the unjust systems that leave people seeking asylum at the margins of our communities: socially and culturally excluded, prevented from working and integrating in society.

They welcomed the establishment by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald TD of a working group on Direct Provision.

“[W]e reiterate our appeal for urgent action, prioritising the needs of those who have spent more than five years in this very difficult situation and the children who are prevented from experiencing normal family life at a critical stage in their development,” concluded the bishops.

It emerged earlier this week that the controversial accommodation centres have proven lucrative for those running them.

Read: Businesses are making money from direct provision>