Mary has long supported ending Direct Provision in this country and welcomes the publication of the White Paper which marks the end of Direct Provision in Ireland.

The White Paper marks a new beginning in Ireland’s approach to meeting the needs of people who come here to seek protection. It sets out a new policy on the accommodation and supports that will be offered to International Protection applicants by the State while they await a decision on their claim for asylum in Ireland.

The White Paper delivers on the commitment made in the Programme for Government to end Direct Provision and replace it with ‘a new International Protection accommodation policy, centred on a not-for-profit approach’. The policy contained within the White Paper sets out how the new system – which will have the protection and promotion of human rights at its core – will be structured and the steps that need to be taken towards making it a reality.

To read the White Paper click here.