David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Wallace is correct. We have been very proactive in working to find accommodation. There are certain times of the year when families find it better to move, such as at the end of a school term. We have provided funding to the Jesuit Refugee Service and the Peter McVerry Trust under the fund that we are discussing today. The PATHS Project also provides asylum seekers in transition with housing and support. The South Dublin County Partnership has a two-year housing integration programme, a key part of which is to assist residents with status to access housing supports, and it is also working with the Clondalkin Towers centre. We have also provided funds and work with Depaul Ireland which provides supports to residents with permission to remain in the Hatch Hall and Mosney centres to assist them to secure permanent housing outside the Department's accommodation portfolio. We are providing housing to a number of different NGOs which have considerable experience in providing accommodation for the people identified by the Deputy. The Red Cross has also been working, mainly with single people, to provide accommodation and has been quite successful. Deputy Wallace is correct that it is a challenge. There is no doubt about that, but we have provided funding to the agencies on the ground to do what they can to locate housing. We all want these people to move on as quickly as possible. They have status with a right to stay in the country, and the same rights as everyone else in this room, except that they are not yet citizens, although they probably will be in time. We want them to find accommodation and we are doing our best for them to find homes.