A report by a working group tasked with examining the system of Direct Provision will be finished by the end of May.

The working group was established after increasing concerns about the treatment of asylum seekers and criticism of the direct provision system.

Today marks the 15th anniversary of Direct Provision, which provides accommodation for people whose applications for asylum are being processed.

More than 4,000 people are kept in Direct Provision in Ireland, with one-in-five of those there for more than seven years.

Events are being held across the country to highlight the problems in the system.

Parish priest in Portlaoise, Monsignor John Byrne, has spoken out about the conditions in centres for asylum seekers.

He says children are the worst affected.

But the Equality Minister Aodhan O'Riordán, who has responsibility for new communities, says the system is on the brink of wholesale reform.

Ellie has been living in Direct Provision for five years. She describes what her life is like: