Ms Oonagh Buckley:

In general, we believe it is best that we try to move children who are within the span where they require school places into direct provision centres as quickly as possible in order that they will be in a more long-term arrangement where they can be placed in schools. In the initial phases when we had to put families in emergency accommodation, some ad hocarrangements were made. We are now working with the Department of Education and Skills to formalise the arrangements to meet the educational needs of children in the centres, but it is not ideal. We would much prefer to move as many families as possible into direct provision centres in order that more established arrangements for schooling can be made.