James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will give serious consideration to that report and how we can speed up the process. There is nothing in what the Deputy has said with which I can disagree. There have been long delays for a considerable time. We need to clear that backlog and get down to a quick, speedy and effective system for these people, many, if not all, of whom have been through serious traumatic experiences in their lives. The delays are unacceptable. The Department is putting processes in place to ensure that these decisions can be made as quickly as possible. We must get the timelines down to the clear, set targets. The Department will be held accountable for those targets and I intend to ensure those targets are met over the coming period.

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