Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy has raised a number of issues that I will be unable to delve into fully in the time available. The three key elements of the White Paper related to accommodation, supports and integration. We are absolutely on the back foot in terms of the accommodation vision that was set out in the White Paper because of the changed circumstances. However, it is not accurate to say we have done nothing on supports and integration. We have brought in the community integration fund. We will be putting two integration officers into every local authority in the country this year. We have, for the first time, allowed international protection applicants to have a bank account and a driver's licence. These are very basic things that international protection applicants have been denied for too long. We have brought down the time period within which they can apply to work. This year, HIQA will be inspecting the international protection accommodation across the country. Most recently, the Department of Education has allowed the regional education and learning support teams, REALTs, that were initially only for Ukrainians, to work also with international protection applicant children. On supports and integration, we have advanced significant parts of the White Paper notwithstanding the recognition of the real challenges on the accommodation side.

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