Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

-----comprehensive legislation which allows decisions to be made on all aspects of the issues that arise and that by developing a single decision making process matters will be dealt with more speedily. If this becomes the case, people will not be in direct provision for as long.

An interesting issue arises once the new legislation is enacted in respect of whether there should be some timeframe within which certain steps must be taken by the State and, if not, whether people may live in circumstances other than direct provision. The State is not in a position to fund expensive accommodation for those seeking to remain here who have arrived here without appropriate visas and who are making claims for asylum or claims that they should be given leave to remain here. The State is not in a position to spend an open-ended pot of money on providing alternative accommodation for individuals.

Even after the enactment of new legislation direct provision will be with us, but I hope that we will have more efficient systems to ensure that applicants have their cases progressed a great deal more speedily and that the provisions will substantially delimit the circumstances in which it is appropriate to take judicial review applications with the resultant expense to the State of cases of applicants being dealt with through a court system.

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