Billy Lawless (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his presentation. He has been a busy man in recent months. As he knows, my role in the US is to represent the Irish undocumented and try to get legalisation for them, but I have learned that Ireland has many thousands of undocumented immigrants. The Minister might help me in trying to establish the exact number.

I wish to bring another matter to the Minister's attention. Refugees were found in a container only a couple of days ago. More than 4,000 people are in direct provision in Ireland. What moves are being made to accelerate their cases for adjudication? Families have been in one hotel in Galway for more than ten years. Their plight is diabolical and the conditions in which they are living are terrible. Their children can attend secondary school, but they cannot receive third level education. What are we doing in this regard?