Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 28 November 2012
180. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there has been any movement in changing the way in which pending refugee applicants are being housed in Direct Provision Centres, which are often over crowded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53102/12]
View answerThere are currently 4,836 persons seeking international protection residing in 35 asylum Direct Provision accommodation centres across 17 counties under contract to the Reception & Integration Agency (RIA), an operational unit of the Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department.
In relation to the issue of space generally, including the sharing of bedrooms and toilet facilities, there are a number of things to be said. Firstly, in sourcing accommodation RIA must ensure that the basic legal conditions, in terms of capacity and toilet and bathroom facilities, are met. Secondly, in relation to room sharing, where it comes to RIA's attention that accommodation is not suitable for a family where, for example, its size has increased, alternative accommodation in another centre is offered. In some cases, this offer is not accepted and families prefer to stay in a centre. Thirdly, in relation to families having to share bathrooms, a majority of families living in the system have sole access to their own bathroom and toilet facilities. Whilst the nature of Direct Provision is such that en suite facilities are not guaranteed, RIA will continue to seek over time to increase the percentage of families having access to non-shared bathroom/toilet facilities.
The policy of direct provision and dispersal is one of the central features of the State’s asylum system. I have recounted in previous responses to Dáil Questions how the direct provision system was a necessary response to the increasing number of asylum seekers arriving into the State given the incapacity of the structures dealing with homelessness to cope with the crisis.
A comprehensive Value for Money review on the operation of the asylum seeker accommodation programme was carried out in 2010 which found that alternatives to the existing direct provision structures would be significantly more expensive than Direct Provision. The Report is available on RIA's website www.ria.gov.ie . Copies are also available in the Oireachtas library.
In relation to the broader asylum issue, particularly the complexity and length of the associated processes, my efforts are concentrated on speeding up the processing of applications, primarily by redeploying staff from the refugee determination bodies. The Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill, 2010 which I intend to republish early in 2013 provides for the introduction of a single procedure to determine applications for protection and other reasons to remain in the State. This should substantially simplify and streamline the existing arrangements. This reorganisation of the protection application processing framework will remove the current multi-layered processes and provide applicants with a final decision on their applications in a more straightforward and timely fashion.
