Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am concerned, although I will just flag it for now. The Minister said it is as a result of increased mobility and that recruitment is a problem across the Department, across the service and across the economy. That is not the full picture. It is a specific and acute problem in this area, as has been highlighted in successive budgets. The Minister told us last year that recruitment would sort this out and that is kind of his answer again this time. The problem is that, while we wait another year, there are families and individuals who are going through an incredibly tortuous immigration system. In some cases, families are looking to join family members or visit friends, and all of that good stuff that is a very serious consideration for people in our society. I do not think this is being addressed. There needs to be a specific analysis of why we have had such a problem with recruitment in this particular area. It is a particular problem and if we do not address it, the problems will continue. I will flag it for now but I seriously hope we are not back at this next year. In some instances, we are talking about very vulnerable people in our society.

With regard to prisons, funding for 2018 included provision for the financing of a step-down facility for women. I have a problem with this in some ways in that it is a little paternalistic. It is a practice that has been moved away from in other jurisdictions, although I fully accept it is better than incarceration. The step-down facility has not been opened. Has the money been spent? What is the status of the project? Has the Department gone back to the drawing board and looked at alternatives? What is the story?