Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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218. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if detailed consideration will be given to a report (details supplied) on direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7817/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to ending the Direct Provision system and replacing it with a new International Protection accommodation policy, centred on a not-for-profit approach. The Government has also committed to the development of a White Paper which will set out how this new system will be structured and the steps to achieving it.

As part of the consultation process for the White Paper, I met with the Irish Refugee Council and I also received a copy of the report referred to by the Deputy. It has provided useful research feeding into the policy development process in the White Paper.

My Department is in the final stages of drafting the White Paper, which will set out options, together with the recommended direction, for the new model of accommodation and services for International Protection applicants and the transitional processes needed to implement the model. I expect it to be submitted to Government shortly.

All matters in relation to the new International Protection system that will replace the current system await the Government’s decision on the White Paper.