Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I have four questions to get through. I thank the witnesses for their attendance. I think it is fair to say that Mr. McCarthy, Ms Baxter and their team at this moment in time have almost the toughest job in Ireland. I would like to frame my questions with that conditioning on it because they are in a perfect storm at the moment. I will get back to that because I believe in a way, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has been isolated a bit from a national and Government perspective.

To help us in dealing with the issue of those for whom we quite rightly are providing protection at the moment through whichever strand - I note the distinction between both strands, it would be good if Mr. McCarthy could provide us with the Department's Min-MAC minutes from the date of the invasion of Ukraine and with a chronology of all Cabinet subcommittee meetings and attendees, any meetings of senior officials or other ancillary meetings in order that we can understand the volume of work, who is helping and who is not. That is my first question.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is the lead Department on this, and it has a significant percentage of the overall role. It is a little strange because there are so many other strands to it. I accept that some Department has to be the lead Department, but there are significant roles for the Departments of Social Protection, Education, Health, and Housing, Local Government and Heritage. I could go on. Does Mr. McCarthy feel that everybody, across all those Departments and other bodies, is working at the same pace as his Department?

I know this is a loaded question, which is difficult for him to answer in a public domain. He might say something different privately. Does Mr. McCarthy feel that he has been let down by any Department as regards meeting some of the requirements the Department has as the lead Department to deliver on the volume of people coming here, in particular as regards getting accommodation and services?