Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 8 July 2021

Committee on Public Petitions

Direct Provision Policy and Related Matters: Discussion

Mr. Nick Henderson:

What the Government would say is probably that the pandemic has put it back. I do not deny we are all in a very challenging position in that regard, but we believed and stated in the report we published in January that 2021 would be a year for action, not necessarily a year for thinking, or at least that the two would be done in parallel. If we are to get the interest of, say, approved housing bodies, which are a big provider of accommodation and very much a potential provider of accommodation for protection applicants, they need clarity on what funding arrangements for building, servicing and supports would be provided to them, and they do not have that. If we do not have that now, the lead-in time to create such funding streams will take time, so every moment we wait or do not implement something, the ball is being kicked further down the road.