Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I keep in close contact with the former judge, Mr. Justice McMahon. I acknowledge the work he continues to do in this area. He has recognised that length of stay was the key challenge that needed to be addressed. I assure the committee that the focus of everybody involved is to meet the needs of those in the process in order to mitigate and minimise any undue discomfort that may be placed upon them by virtue of their being in direct provision for such a lengthy period.

However, we are seeing a positive impact as a consequence of the 2015 legislation on the duration of stay. I am satisfied that that will continue into the future. In the meantime, even for those who are in direct provision for the short to medium term, there are areas where ongoing improvements can be carried out. I again acknowledge everyone in the system working towards that, in particular the independent recommendations of the McMahon working group and the need to ensure that all these recommendations are fully implemented. At this stage we are on the plus side of the 90%.