Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am afraid I will have to check up on that and come back to the Deputy with an answer about vulnerability assessments and EU law. I am not fully briefed on this but I will check it out and get back to the Deputy with a reply in the next couple of days, as best I can.

Government acknowledges that there are many people who have been living in direct provision for far too long. A lot of that relates to the fact that we have a very slow system for deciding whether someone is allowed to stay in the country or not when they claim asylum. That is to do with our own processes but it is also to do with the large number of judicial reviews. We believe, however, that as the International Protection Act 2015 is implemented, decisions will be made more speedily and people will find out much more quickly whether they can stay or should return to the country whence they came.

Direct provision is not compulsory and there are many asylum seekers who do not live in direct provision but with friends or family members who have already come to Ireland. After a few months, asylum seekers have the right to work so some can actually provide for their own accommodation. It is not a requirement that a person checks in or out, which some people believe to be the case, and a person is free to leave at any time. Many people have done so, to live with friends and relations who have come from their home country or in their own accommodation, having found work. Direct provision is offered to asylum seekers and they are provided with accommodation, heat, lighting, food and spending money but we are trying to raise the standards. That is being led by the guidelines that were put together by Mr. Justice Bryan McMahon, which we are following in order to raise standards and so that people in direct provision get decent accommodation.

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