Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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130. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the implementation of the recommendations of the working group on improvement to the protection process including the direct provision scheme and support to asylum seekers. [15956/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Report of the Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers, has implications for a number of Government Departments and services.

The 173 recommendations in the Report were taken forward by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. To date, some 90 of the recommendations have been fully implemented and more than 30 others are in the process of being implemented. Work on implementing a further number of the recommendations is continuing. The International Protection Act 2015 responds to 26 of the Report's recommendations. The Act provides for the introduction of a single application procedure for international protection which is a key recommendation of the Report. The single procedure is specifically aimed at addressing the length of time persons spend in the protection process. The new procedure will significantly streamline and speed up the processing of protection applications and will reduce the length of time that persons spend in the Direct Provision system. Preparations for commencement of the single procedure are progressing.

My Department continues to actively co-ordinate implementation of the Working Group's Report and has also recently engaged with relevant stakeholders to provide a progress update for the 173 recommendations in the Report.