Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

In some ways, that is frightening. I know a number of the individuals who are living in Hatch Hall and they are really worried about what it means for them. There is the prospect of hundreds of people being dispersed to who knows where. There is nowhere for them to go. Hatch Hall is to be turned into a luxury hotel, which is unfortunate, to put it as mildly as I can. A number of people living there have their papers. While they are allowed to stay here, there is no accommodation available for them. People who came here as youngsters, as unaccompanied minors, who want to continue their studies and take the leaving certificate examinations do not know where they will be going, which is serious. We will probably include the matter in our work programme in the run-in to the summer recess as we need to have a deeper conversation about it.

Before I ask my final question, on the staffing problems in the INIS, while the Minister states the delays are being dealt with, I am not really sure that is the case, particularly because I am dealing with cases which seem to be included in the backlog of asylum applications. Is the issuing of the Minister's letter linked with some function in checking that has been outsourced and is there some blockage in the system because there seem to be delays in applicants getting clearance?

My final question is about Forensic Science Ireland and the €10 million being cut from its budget because of the cost overrun on the National Children's Hospital project. I raise the matter in the context of the figures produced at the end of last year which showed that in approximately 70 sexual assault and rape cases the processing of examination kits was awaited. We were told that the demands on the service would be alleviated in the move to Kildare and by the recruitment of 24 personnel. How does that tally with the cut of €10 million? Why were the jobs axed, particularly given the delays in dealing with rape and sexual assault cases which could be longer than one year, which is absolutely outrageous in such cases? How does that fit with the promise of improvements in dealing with sexual crimes and so on? Will personnel be recruited? Will the move to Kildare happen? That obviously ties in with the previous question asked by Deputy O'Callaghan about Garda and civilian staff.