Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 May 2024
232. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the suspension of the vulnerability assessments conducted by the International Protection Accommodation Service resident welfare team will resume; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19981/24]
View answerThe significant increase in numbers of arrivals and constraints on available accommodation across the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) portfolio placed extreme pressure on IPAS resources, including the Vulnerability Assessment Programme. As a result, a decision was made to suspend the programme and to seek to procure an external contractor to manage it.
Following the suspension, resources were redirected to support operations across the Resident Welfare Team and IPAS overall, including to conduct triage of newly arrived single male applicants and identify those with very high needs requiring priority for accommodation when available. Support remains available for International Protection (IP) applicants in IPAS accommodation centres through a number of channels.
The programme was formally suspended in March 2024 and the decision was communicated along with a suite of information to all of those queued for assessment, IPAS accommodation managers, NGO partners, all relevant stakeholders and the Department’s website at Suspension of VA Programme - www.gov.ie/en/publication/58397-resident-welfare/#suspension-of-the-vulnerability-assessment-pilot-programme .
A Request for Tender was published on eTenders.gov.ie on 19 April 2024, with a closing date of 23 May 2024.
www.gov.ie/en/publication/58397-resident-welfare/#suspension-of-the-vulnerability-assessment-pilot-programme
