Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

In terms of specific competencies, Mr. McCarthy's Department was asked to contract accommodation on a scale it would never have been asked to do before. Currently, the Department is trying to reconfigure that accommodation in terms of the temporary protection applicants who are increasingly leaving that accommodation. The Department is trying to consolidate and ensure we are increasing standards and encourage some of those accommodation providers to move into international protection. Does the Department have the relevant competencies within it to deal with those types of contract negotiations? I share the worry of other Deputies that many people in the private sector are making a lot of money from our response to this crisis. Does the Department have that competency within it to drive a hard bargain on the part of the State to ensure we are getting the best value for money and also in terms of the consolidation piece to ensure we are moving to higher quality providers and that people are getting a better standard of service? Are we being successful in converting some of the temporary protection accommodation to international protection, where we are seeing increasing pressures?