Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I have a number of comments and a couple of questions. I thank the Minister and his officials again for this engagement, which, as I understand it, is the first dedicated Oireachtas committee engagement to the whole issue of international protection. Considering how prevalent it has been in public discourse over the past number of years, it is really important that people see their elected representatives having these discussions in a fair and balanced way.

The Minister has contextualised the past couple of years and how we got to the point where we were and are spending €1.2 billion from the Department's perspective. However, there should also be an acknowledgment that whatever the reasons or the background, the enrichment of some individuals - and there was some enrichment of a number of individuals who benefited from the IPAS system - increased a lot of the tensions and resentment occurring within local communities and undermined public confidence in the overall immigration system in Ireland. I think that implicit in the Minister's opening remarks is an acceptance that there were failings. I do not know if he would accept that characterisation.

Moving on, the Minister has talked about improved transparency and I welcome that language but to talk about transparency and then say we are not going to publish rate cards, with regard to what IPAS providers are currently getting paid, is a dichotomy. Is the Minister in a position to indicate what the highest rate per bed, per day is at the moment?