I propose to take Questions Nos. 719 to 723, inclusive, and 725 together.
The role of the City and County Management Association (CCMA) will be to support my Department to develop a national allocation key which will set out the number of applicants for international protection who will be accommodated in urban areas in each county. My Department will work with the CCMA to develop criteria in this regard. The objective is that the allocation key should be fair and transparent and based on clear and simple criteria.
The preparatory process for the Programme Board, which will oversee the implementation of the new system and whose members will include representatives from Government Departments, NGOs and former residents of Direct Provision, is currently underway. An external advisory group of three independent persons will be established to monitor the implementation of the new model. Preparatory work is being undertaken on the process for selecting these independent experts.
The appointment of the Transition Team is underway and its first task will be to develop a detailed implementation plan and timeline for all accommodation strands in the White Paper.