Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I want to go back to the question of the 90-day period. I appreciate all the good work that has been done and I want to acknowledge that. However, if it is to be mandatory for them to leave that accommodation after 90 days, it will create huge problems depending on the location of the centres. If they are not near resources, and because there is huge competition for rented accommodation anyway, I have a concern that this will put women and children at risk. Many of these will be very young children.

I do not have the breakdown of the figures, but I am sure there is a significant number of preschool children and primary school-going children in this cohort. Therefore, wherever they are located, there has to be adequate care for them in the community, as well as preschool and primary school resources. The location of these centres will probably have to be near greater centres of population and where other accommodation is available. However, if it is going to be mandatory for a person who has two or three young children to get out after 90 days, that will put the person in a despairing situation. The landlords in some cases will be providing very poor accommodation for those families. That is my concern as well. Is there flexibility with that 90-day period? It seems to me to be arbitrary. Why was it picked?