Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is a fair point, and the truth is that the Government operates both models. We have 38 or 39 direct provision centres across 18 counties. Many other countries do not have that, but instead put nearly all their asylum applicants into one or two very large national centres. We are trying to ensure integration across the country and that towns, which are sometimes small, have direct provision centres as well. Irish integration has been quite good, considering the pressures that exist in that area.

We also accommodate refugees whose asylum status is already settled when they come to Ireland, although it is often done quietly. They are normally accommodated in private rental accommodation, in long-term leasing arrangements that ensure they are integrated and dispersed among communities. It is a good model. However, if we were to assign a percentage of social housing for asylum seekers or refugees, it could create a danger of resentment from people on housing lists. We need to be careful in how we manage this, but Ireland, by and large, has been quite good at integration, which has been noted in international commentary as well.

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