Ms Oonagh McPhillips:

In March, we had to move very quickly to procure over 800 beds in order that people could be separated because of the issues raised by the Deputy. We were very concerned in terms of Covid to ensure that people were distanced to the greatest extent possible. We had to procure 850 new temporary beds for direct provision in the space of weeks in March. Very good work was done in that regard. The proof of the pudding is that people were kept safe. While some people did obviously, unfortunately, get sick from time to time, nobody got very seriously ill.