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Alternative housing for people in Direct Provision should be explored - expert group

Alternative housing for people in Direct Provision should be explored - expert group

Asylum seekers should have their right to work extended and alternative housing be explored for people in the Direct Provision system.

They are part of a number of early recommendations sent to government by an expert group.

Chairperson of the expert group Catherine Day says the system, introduced in Ireland in 1999, requires root and branch reform.

Among the measures proposed is moving away from use of emergency accommodation and a reduction in the amount of time taken to process decisions on granting asylum.

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Separately the justice department is being asked to undertake a review of its action on Direct Provision in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in order to inform action in any subsequent phases of the outbreak.

The expert group aims to complete its work by the end of September.

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