David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will do the best I can. A lot of people criticise direct provision, but we have made significant improvements in the system over the past number of years and continue to do so. That has to be acknowledged. We have shortened the time people live in the centres and we move them on as quickly as we can. Either they are told their application has not succeeded and they must leave, or they are told they can stay and we try to get accommodation for them. Some 60,000 people have benefitted from that over recent years. People can come and go as they wish. I have outlined the services that are available. I have yet to see a better alternative. If the Deputy has one, he might tell me what it is. I would be delighted to sit down with him for as long as it takes to learn about it.

To meet our obligations as set out in the EU directive, which lays down standards for the reception of persons seeking international protection, and which was transposed into Irish law as the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, the State must have available sufficient accommodation to meet the demands of persons in the protection process. Due to significant demand, my Department has sought to identify additional accommodation by publishing expressions of interest in the national press, as the current accommodation portfolio will not meet the demand. In response to that expression of interest, the premises in Roosky and elsewhere were offered to the Department by the owner. As with all our accommodation centres, whether located in rural or urban areas, my Department will work closely with all relevant State agencies such as the HSE and the Department of Education and Skills to make sure the residents get what they need. All contractors are obliged to meet the reasonable transport needs of residents and so on. The contractor in each centre is also required to set up a friends of the centre group. There are 37 such centres around the country and they are all working well. I am sure Roosky will be no different. The friends of the centre groups were recommended by the McMahon report to facilitate linkages between the residents and the local community and to encourage integration and inclusion. My Department worked closely with this group to achieve these aims. That is happening all over the country and is going very well.

With respect to the other questions the Deputy asked, there is no difficulty whatsoever meeting Oireachtas Members. As he will be aware, there is a question mark over this centre at the moment and until that is resolved, it would be better for us to hold on and see what will happen. As soon as that is resolved, I have no difficulty meeting the Deputy and his colleagues at any time and place to answer any questions they may have.

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