Dr. Fergal Lynch:

I thank the Chair very much for the opportunity to have met the committee. I am conscious how committed the Committee on Public Petitions is to this issue. It is to its credit that it has held five meetings dealing with this important issue. It deserves public ventilation and it is very good that the committee has held these meetings. I hope the material we supplied to the committee and the answers offered today will have given it a broad overview of what we are about. I reiterate our enthusiasm about and our commitment to implementing the new system. We are acutely conscious that the current direct provision system is not where we want it to be. While we have managed to make progress on, and some improvements to, it over the last number of years, it is not where we want to be. We are also acutely conscious that this is a Government priority. It is in the programme for Government to implement a new system to replace the current system and have the new system in place by the end of 2024. My colleagues and I will continue in our efforts to achieve that. I thank the committee very much for the opportunity to talk to it today.