Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We will now resume in public session. I now ask the panel and members to manually reactivate the recording equipment by pressing the button to make a red light appear on their microphones. I am sure the technical aspect of it will be sorted in time.

I had some questions myself but I am going to conclude with one observation, and to share a situation with the witnesses. When I was a member of the health committee, in a previous Dáil up to ten years ago, we visited a number of direct provision centres. At that time it was very much of the order Mr. Justice McMahon has referenced himself. Changes have been made, and that is to be welcomed. However, the reality still is that the lives of the greater number of people accommodated in these situations, particularly those who are waiting longer, are suspended. That is the way I see them. The 19-month wait that was referenced is totally unacceptable, albeit a significant improvement on the previous situation. Are any of the panel in a position to advise on whether there are people currently in direct provision who have been there for significantly longer than 19 months? Do we know the statistics on that point?