Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Renua Ireland)
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355. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the direct provision system (details supplied) in Dublin 13; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32761/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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In October 2014 a Working Group to report on improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports for Asylum Seekers was established by myself and Minister of State Ó Ríordáin. The Working Group was chaired by former High Court Judge, Dr. Brian McMahon, and its membership was drawn from a range of interests in the international protection area including UNHCR, non-governmental organisations, protection applicants, academia and relevant Government Departments and Offices.

The Report of the Working Group which was published on 30 June 2015, contains 173 recommendations many of which have implications for a number of Government Departments and services.

The Report identifies the excessive length of time in the protection system as the most significant issue facing those in Direct Provision. I am committed to tackling the lengthy delays in the protection system. A number of initiatives have already been taken to deal with the number of cases on hand including the scheduling of interviews of applicants on Saturdays, the transfer of subsidiary protection application processing to the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, the establishment of a legal panel to assist the Commissioner with this work, and the appointment of additional members to the Refugee Appeals Tribunal.

The Government has decided to bring forward as a major priority the International Protection Bill which will provide for the introduction of a single applications procedure for international protection. This reform will simplify and streamline the existing arrangements and provide applicants with a final decision on their protection application in a more straightforward and timely fashion and will also, as a consequence, reduce the length of time applicants spend in the Direct Provision system.

Section 9(4)(b) of the Refugee Act 1996 provides that applicants for international protection shall not seek or enter employment or carry on any business, trade or profession during the period before the final determination of their application. The Report of the Working Group, acknowledging government policy in this area, does not recommend any immediate right to work. It does, however, include a recommendation to provide for access to the labour market for certain protection applicants when the single procedure is operating efficiently.

The Government in its decision of the 30 June 2015 recommended that the Report of the Working Group should in the first instance be the subject of a detailed discussion at the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. The Committee agreed that my Department should prepare a report for the Cabinet Committee, in conjunction with relevant Departments, on the legal, financial and practical implications of the Report's recommendations.

Each Department is currently examining the recommendations to determine timescales for implementation and any impacts and issues that may arise. My Department will be working with the other relevant Departments on an overall response in the coming weeks.

The Cabinet Committee also decided that the Minister of State for New Communities, Culture and Equality convene a Taskforce, as recommended in the Report, to examine the mechanisms and supports for the transitioning of persons granted status from the Direct Provision system. The work of the Taskforce is key as it is essential that persons who are granted status are supported in transitioning out of the Direct Provision system and thus do not spend any longer than is necessary in the system once a positive decision on their case has been made. The Taskforce has met on a number of occasions and has progressed a number of matters including the sourcing of appropriate accommodation in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the production of an information pack on the range of services and supports that are available for those in the system with status and the rolling out of a Pilot Information Programme for persons granted status in a number of areas throughout the country.