Report on ending direct provision due in February 

Roderic O'Gorman told the Irish Examiner that the promised report on an alternative for Ireland's international protection system, which has been dubbed a "severe violation of human rights" by a UN committee, will be published within the next few weeks.

A white paper on Direct Provision will be published in early February, with the aim of ending the system, according to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

Roderic O'Gorman told the Irish Examiner that the promised report on an alternative for Ireland's international protection system, which has been dubbed a "severe violation of human rights" by a UN committee, will be published within the next few weeks.

The Programme For Government commits to ending the system. A report published in October recommended moving asylum seekers into "own door" accommodation and granting eligibility for driving licenses and social welfare.

The expert report by Dr Catherine Day recommends ending Direct Provision "no later" than 2023. The Government had committed to using the recommendations from the Day Report to produce a white paper by the end of 2020, but Mr O'Gorman said he had told NGOs in the area before Christmas that it would be delayed in order to "take the extra couple of weeks to get it right".

Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration Children Roderic O Gorman.

"We're most of the way there, but I didn't want to rush it," said Mr O'Gorman, adding the first draft of the paper is "very strong".

The Minister, however, rejected the notion that the momentum had dissipated from the push to end Direct Provision. Labour Senator Ivana Bacik queried whether there had been a "slipping of ambition" from the Government on the issue.

"This slippage is particularly worrying, given the commitment in the Programme for Government that this would be published in December of this year," she said.

Labour Senator Ivana Bacik queried whether there had been a "slipping of ambition" from the Government on the issue

“It is vitally important that there is no further slipping of ambition from government regarding this project. The commitment to ending Direct Provision once and for all is ambitious but it also long overdue."

Mr O'Gorman, however, rejected that notion.

"I set a clear policy direction on ending direct provision and that's what we're going to achieved. We're not tinkering around with it. We're going to end it and replace it with a system which puts the dignity of those waiting on the adjudication of their asylum application at its heart."

Sinéad Gibney, chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission said the White Paper is the first step in any meaningful reform of the system.

 Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) Sinéad Gibney.

“There have been enough promises since the system of direct provision was established as an emergency measure 20 years ago. This White Paper needs to focus on targets being set and met each year.”

The Day Report identifies the long processing times for asylum applicants, the right to work and access services, and the lack of oversight over the current model as key concerns.

Government records, available up until 2017, show that, since the first contracts were signed in 2000, the total bill for Direct Provision in the 17 years amounts to €1.1bn, with one family business receiving almost €140m from the State.