Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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84. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to recent media reports that Government plans to end direct provision by 2024 are to be watered down and that persons in direct provision may be charged rent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56940/22]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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93. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 133 of 13 October 2022, if he will provide an update on the review of projected timelines for the implementation of a White Paper to end direct provision and to establish a new international protection support service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56946/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 93 together.

Since publishing A White Paper to end Direct Provision and to Establish a new International Protection Support Servicein February 2021 my Department has placed a significant focus on delivering these reforms. Progress made includes:

- The recruitment of a team dedicated to driving the implementation of the new programme;

- The establishment of governance structures to oversee transition to the new model in the form of a Programme Board and an External Advisory Committee;

- The development of the community accommodation model including the acquisition of some properties;

- The development of an integration programme to support the principle of ‘integration from day one’ as set out in the White Paper;

- The advancement of our Communication Strategy to include a dedicated webpage where all members of the public can find updates on the progress being made;

- The initiation of a planning process for Phase One Reception and Integration Centres.

- The roll out of an integration fund, offering grants to civil society organisations for projects supporting the integration of International Protection Applicants. I am very pleased to say that over €1.6m in funding has been awarded to 67 organisations through this new International Protection IntegrationFund.

As will be appreciated, the war in Ukraine has had an unavoidable impact on timelines for the implementation of the White Paper. Alongside this, there has been a substantial increase in the number of people seeking International Protection with over 12,000 arrivals up to the end of October and a prediction of over 14,000 by the end of the year. As of 9 November, my Department is accommodating over 62,500 people overall, compared with 7,500 at this time last year.

In this vastly changed context, an overall review of the projected timelines and deliverables in the White Paper is currently underway. This is a complex exercise that will take account of both the delays that have arisen as a consequence of the war in Ukraine and the impact of the substantial increase in numbers seeking International Protection.

The review is reassessing the projections underpinning the White Pa]per with respect to numbers of arrivals and how this impacts on key deliverables. The review will also consider whether it is preferable to prioritise the implementation of certain aspects of the White Paper reforms over others. The objective of such an approach is to advance key reforms that are achievable in the current altered context while implementing the key principles of the White Paper.

The review will also focus on identifying new approaches that will help the system to manage with the uncertainty of a demand led system while addressing future needs.

An initial paper with some options and recommendations has been brought to the White Paper Programme Board for their input and feedback. Once the overall review is completed, a new set of proposals will be drafted and submitted to Government for approval. It is not the case that the proposals of the White Paper will be watered down but rather that they will be modified to respond to the need to accommodate much larger numbers of International Protection applicants than were envisaged in the assumptions underpinning the White Paper which were based on arrival patterns for the previous 20 years.

In relation to the question on whether persons in Direct Provision will be charged rent, no decision has been taken by the Government on this issue.