The Department of Justice's Secretary General has said achieving international protection targets under the EU Migration Act will be "bumpy".
At a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, Fianna Fáil TD Séamus McGrath had asked if reducing the average wait time for international protection status from 24 months to six by June is realistic.
Oonagh McPhillips said they anticipate this will be "bumpy", adding that "other member states are in the same territory".
She said the Department has been achieving the targets set out in the new legislation on a trial basis.
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary General Doncha O'Sullivan said they are "ambitious targets" but there are different levels within them.
"I am not doubting your ability to respond, but it does seem to me a monumental task," said Mr McGrath.
He asked if Mr O'Sullivan is confident that the Department will have achieved this target if asked in a committee next autumn.
Mr O'Sullivan said how many new applications are coming in will have a bearing on that.
"With similar numbers, we are aiming to achieve those targets," he said.
"We are going to do everything we can to achieve those targets and putting significant resources into it."
Mr McGrath said he was not convinced that "we will get anywhere near six months" by June.
Director, Richard Dixon said they are dealing with a "significant backlog".
He said from 12 June, the numbers reset to zero,.
"The people that come in on the first day, will be managed on that first day. There isn't a queue of people ahead of them," he said.
Mr McGrath asked what was the scale of the biggest provider of accommodation for Ukrainians.
Assistant Secretary General Conor Rowley said one hotel in Dublin has 1,300 people from Ukraine, with an annual cost of €24 million.
Mr McGrath then asked for the scale of the biggest provider of IPAS accommodation.
Mr Delaney said a few are "around the €25m mark", including at Mosney Village.
"It's about quality-of-service provision foremost and then having confidence in the work that is being done," he added.
