Tánaiste: Syrian refugees will not be put into direct provision
The Tánaiste Joan Burton has said thousands of refugees expected to be taken in by Ireland will not be housed in direct provision centres.
Ms Burton's comments come as concerns are expressed about Government plans to house the refugees in places like disused army barracks.
Retired Supreme Court Judge and patron of the Irish Refugee Council, Catherine McGuinness, says the idea is "quite worrying".
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Ms Burton says a figure of 5,000 refugees for Ireland is "in the mix", but that those coming from Syria will not end up in direct provision.
She said: "The direct provision issue doesn't arise in respect of the people coming from the conflict in Syria, because what we are getting from the EU Commission and from the UN are proposals in relation to programme refugees which means they have status and leave to remain in the country for a period of time.
"If we can end the conflict through peacemaking in Syria, then a lot of people will wish to return home."
