Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will not delay matters because I was not one of those who managed to get to the visits. I have been to a number of reception centres over the years for different reasons, representations and so forth. Visits were sometimes welcomed by the management and other times management were not happy with people visiting, especially public representatives, even if it was nothing to do with the conditions in the centre itself which were a problem in the past.

I note some figures from Deputy Ó Ríordáin's presentation. The first is that 21% of people have been in the system for seven years or more; there are 500 people who are, in fact, out of the direct provision system but still effectively in it; and there are another 600 who have deportation orders. That is the equivalent of a quarter of all of those who are in the system. I understand the question around the 600. There are quite a number of people who will oppose their deportation order. The fact that 500 people who have succeeded in getting the right to remain in Ireland cannot move beyond a direct provision centre beggars belief. In some ways direct provision is subsidising what the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government or the Department of Social Protection should be looking at because they are in centres and are being provided with food and accommodation. Some of these centres are quite cramped. If 500 people were taken out of the system they no longer have to be paid for but it might allow for greater space in some of these centres if they are still attended. What can happen there?

Does the Chairman want me to ask one question at a time?