Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is a Government commitment to ending direct provision and we will do this. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and others have been involved in the publication of the White Paper in this regard. I have been heavily involved, as has the Minister, Deputy McEntee, on the justice side, because we want to and will bring an end to direct provision. I have had discussions with the Minister and this has also come up at the joint Oireachtas committee. It is for the specific Department to source the necessary accommodation for persons in the asylum process and I have offered the expertise of the Housing Agency. We worked through this with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, to assist that Department by providing expert advise on the sourcing, delivery and management of accommodation. While the LDA has a specific role to assist local authorities in providing accommodation, this is an acknowledgement of the statutory role of the local authority as a housing authority. The LDA will not be a housing authority or a planning authority. Therefore, I cannot agree to the expansion of the LDA role to include provision of accommodation for applicants for international protection.

Where the LDA's expertise is sought or required, it will be given. We have had these discussions already. The Housing Agency, as the joint committee discussed in detail, will have a specific role in advising the Department on asylum seekers and bringing about the much-needed end of direct provision, which is what we want to do. I cannot accept amendment No. 7.