Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We seem to have a pretty restrictive asylum regime with 10% of applicants granted permission in 2012 compared with a European average of 27%. The former Irish Ombudsman and now the European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, raised concerns about the safety of children living in direct provision, and she noted the very unsuitable conditions in which they were living. Considering direct provision has no legislative basis, can Mr. Purcell provide us with an update on the number of people living in direct provision and the cost to the State of that each year?