Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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99. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons availing of the direct provision facilities; the numbers who have entered the system in each of the past eight years; the numbers and locations of the centres; if records are kept of the number of persons originally in the direct provision system who have attained citizenship; her plans for the direct provision system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26685/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of protection applicants in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal. Direct provision provides for full board accommodation supports while a final decision is awaited by a person on their protection or any related leave to remain application.

As of 8 June 2014, there were 4,353 persons availing of direct provision accommodation and supports in 34 accommodation centres across 16 counties. Since Direct Provision was introduced, over 52,000 protection applicants have been accommodated by RIA. In terms of numbers entering the system, several points need to be noted. Firstly, not everyone who claims asylum seeks to be accommodated in the Direct Provision system. Some protection applicants live on their own resources or live with friends or relatives. Secondly, some who enter into the initial reception centre where they can be medically assessed and make their initial asylum application leave the accommodation system after a short while to stay elsewhere. Thirdly, some persons seek re-accommodation in the Direct Provision system having lived outside it for some time.

Therefore, it is assumed that the question refers to asylum applicants - either newly arrived or who had never previously lived in the Direct Provision system - being accommodated for the first time in the Direct Provision system. Specific details in this respect are available for the past five years as follows:

In relation to the part of the question about those persons awarded citizenship, records are not kept in such a manner that would allow the identification of former direct provision residents.

The numbers of asylum seekers residing in direct provision has reduced significantly over recent years. The current figure of 4,353 compared to the numbers residing in direct provision at its highest point in April, 2005 (8,080), shows that there has been a reduction of 46%, or 3727 persons in the intervening period.

The operation of the Direct Provision system is kept under review and I acknowledge that the length of time that residents spend in Direct Provision is an issue to be addressed. I have no desire for applicants to remain in the protection system any longer than the minimum period it takes to process their case. The Direct Provision system is not ideal but it is a system which facilitates the State in providing a roof over the head of those seeking asylum or seeking to be allowed, on humanitarian grounds, to stay in the State.

A key priority for this Government is legislative reform aimed at establishing a single application procedure for the investigation of all grounds for protection and any other grounds presented by applicants seeking to remain in the State . Such reform would substantially simplify and streamline the existing arrangements by removing the current multi-layered and sequential processes and provide applicants with a final decision on their application in a more straightforward and timely fashion. In consultation with my officials, I am reviewing the work done to date in respect of the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill and will then decide on how best to progress the implementation of the Government's priorities, in particular to expedite those relating to the establishment of a single application procedure.