Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Can the Minister provide context on what State-owned facilities we will have, when we will have them and what are the numbers we are talking about? Unfortunately, the Minister referred to the Peter McVerry Trust, which leaves serious questions to be answered and there are ongoing investigations into it. We are also at this stage now because the successive Governments has failed to deal with the problem. I recognise the influx of people from Ukraine and the strain that has put on the Department but what has happened is the narrative has changed. To put it simply, the narrative became some people coming into the country were good and others were not so good. We continue to have a horrible, discriminatory policy.

This was captured again by the Taoiseach's comments that the impact of people leaving direct provision and asylum seekers are creating problems for homelessness. This is absolutely misleading, disingenuous and wrong. There were four reasons given and that was fourth. The three other reasons were notices to quit, family separations and other problems. Direct provision was the least impactful. For the Taoiseach of the country to perpetuate that narrative is unacceptable. I hope the Minister will disassociate himself from that and will go back to give me specifics in his final minute. When will direct provision be ended and provided for in non-profit State accommodation?

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