Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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18. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will consider extending the mandate of the office of the Ombudsman for Children such that it could receive complaints from children in direct provision, as was recommended by the working group on the protection process; if she had discussions with the Minister for Justice and Equality as regards joint measures to improve the lives of children in direct provision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14818/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The direct provision system is under the remit of my colleague Frances Fitzgerald TD, Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, and the policy decision in question is a matter for her.

The Report of the Working Group on the Protection Process was published in June 2015 and recommended that the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children would be given remit to deal with complaints relating to certain matters for asylum seekers in the Direct Provision system. A similar recommendation was made to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in January 2016.

Earlier this year, Minister Fitzgerald committed in principle to amending legislation to allow the Ombudsman for Children and the Ombudsman to deal with issues relating to direct provision. Both issued press statements welcoming this commitment.

It is not yet clear what legislative change, if any, would be required to give effect to this expansion of remit. Following the enactment of the Ombudsman (Amendment) Act 2012, the remit of the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children have been largely aligned. Discussions of such an expansion are likely to involve a number of Government Departments including the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and my own Department.

I can assure the Deputy that if legislative change is required, my Department will cooperate fully to ensure the necessary legislation is advanced in an appropriate and timely manner.