Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. Those are very important issues that she has pointed out. In terms of the calculation of her figures, I would have to do them myself but let us assume that she has done her maths right. The most important thing that the Deputy is identifying is what guidelines Ireland ought to follow to determine the number of refuge places that we have available. Indeed, as the Deputy indicated, we have a Council of Europe document which indicates the minimum standards to help us identify the appropriate number. The first issue then is what this number should be. The Deputy may be aware that the document offers two standards relating to fulfilling our obligations under the Council of Europe recommendations, one which is being followed, and the other on which the Deputy has just commented. In light of the Deputy's questions but also my ongoing interest in prioritising this issue, it is worth looking again at the most appropriate standard to follow in light of the evidence that is coming to bear on these issues.

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