Ms Meg Ryan:

As I mentioned in my statement, I am speaking today from a caseworker perspective, so I am not speaking on behalf of the management of the Red Cross. I can tell the Deputy that in regard to the role of the caseworker in matching and placing families in accommodation, our priority from the outset of this war has been to place families with high needs, be it medical needs, risk of retraumatisation or an additional reason, perhaps due to highly unsuitable accommodation options or to the nature of the families we have been assigned. Our priority has been focused on vacant properties where a family has their own door, their own kitchen, their own space, their own areas and their own time to breathe and to settle in. Our priority, working in collaboration with other organisations and other partners, has been placing families into vacant accommodation while working in the background on shared accommodation options. There may be issues around vetting and processes that simply take time, but they are necessary processes to ensure the safety of the individuals being placed.