Ms Oonagh McPhillips:

There have been two reviews of the direct provision system in the past ten years. One was done around 2014 and the other, which the Deputy referred to, was done in 2021 or 2022. They both focused a lot on speeding up the system. Some elements are sui generis to that period which made assumptions around the numbers and so forth, but the fundamental element of both reviews and of our policy direction is speeding up the processing system so that people do not spend a long time in the accommodation. They get a decision, whatever it is, quickly and can move on with their lives or have to depart if that is the decision that is made. There is a lot in the review that supports that policy direction still. Our approach in the past few years has been to put resources into processing to make sure people get out of the accommodation as fast as possible.