Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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258. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons in direct provision centres who have been granted leave to remain or have been issued with a stamp 4, but who have been unable to leave due to difficulties such as finding accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17459/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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There are approximately 450 persons in Direct Provision accommodation who have been granted some form of permission to remain in the State. As a matter of long standing public policy, immigrants who have permission to remain in the State would not normally be allowed to remain in State provided facilities. However, the persons in question who are being dealt with on a case by case basis are being facilitated by being allowed to remain in Direct Provision accommodation on a humanitarian basis. This is one of many issues currently being considered by the Independent Working Group on the Protection Process established in October 2014 to recommend to Government what improvements should be made to the protection process, including direct provision and supports to asylum seekers. The Working Group is due to finalise its report to Government by the end of the month.

It should be said that the difficulty for these persons in sourcing accommodation is indicative of wider issues relating to the availability of housing in the State. Addressing these issues is outside the remit of my Department or the immigration authorities.