Dominic Hannigan
Question:426. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to end the system of direct provision here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19939/13]
View answerTuesday, 30 April 2013
Questions (426, 427, 428, 429)
Dominic Hannigan
Question:427. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he is in a position to introduce a maximum six month stay in accommodation for children who in are direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19940/13]
View answerDominic Hannigan
Question:428. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if any assessment has been done on the psychological needs of children in direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19941/13]
View answerDominic Hannigan
Question:429. Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on an independent external inquiry into the direct provision system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19942/13]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 426 to 429, inclusive, together.
The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the operation of the system of direct provision. There are currently 35 asylum accommodation centres under contract to RIA, providing accommodation and ancillary services to 4,715 persons.
The Direct Provision system remains a key pillar of the State's asylum and immigration system and I have no plans to end it. I, and previous Ministers for Justice and Equality, have explained in response to previous Dáil Questions how the normal structures dealing with homelessness could not cope when the number of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland increased dramatically, and how the Direct Provision system was the only realistic accommodation solution. There are no cheaper alternatives to the direct provision system. In fact, if we were operating a system which facilitated asylum seekers in living independent lives in individual housing with social welfare support and payments, aside from the asylum 'pull factor' it would likely create, the cost to the exchequer would be double what is currently paid under the direct provision system. This was a key finding in the recent Value for Money Report on the direct provision system which was published in 2010 and is on the RIA website - www.ria.gov.ie. I have also explained the nature of the full board accommodation system provided; how RIA coordinates through other Government bodies a number of ancillary services to residents; how residents are offered free medical screening on arrival in the State and have access to health services; and how residents have access to primary and secondary education services, on the same basis as Irish citizens.
The practical effect of limiting the time spent by children spent in Direct Provision to six months is that the system itself becomes largely inoperable beyond that period for all residents. The alternative is the granting of the right to work and an extensive range of mainstreamed social and housing supports which, for the reasons given above, is not a realistic policy option. That said, I have acknowledged that the length of time spent in direct provision and the complexity of the asylum process is an issue to be addressed. The accommodation system is inextricably linked to the surrounding asylum process. The revised Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill, which I intend to re-publish, should substantially simplify and streamline the existing arrangements for asylum, subsidiary protection and leave to remain applications. It will do this by making provision for the establishment of a single application procedure, so that applicants can be provided with a final decision on all aspects of their protection application in a more straight forward and timely fashion. Pending the enactment and commencement of the new legislation and with a view to improving processing, I am proposing to introduce new arrangements for the processing of subsidiary protection applications in light of recent judgments in the Superior Courts. My Department, in consultation with the Attorney General's Office, is developing a new legislative and administrative framework for the processing of current and future subsidiary protection applications. This work is being given high priority and applicants will be advised of the new arrangements as soon as possible.
In relation to the psychological needs of asylum seekers in direct provision, including their children, all such persons are entitled to the same level of medical - including psychological - care as persons residing in the general community. Asylum seekers are, by definition, a category of persons who arrived in this country seeking protection from harm. They are disconnected from their home country, from family and from their social network. Decisions as to whether there needs to be specific research into the psychological needs of a particular set of children is ultimately a matter for the HSE to determine. In this context, it should be noted that the medical and psychological services provided to asylum seekers are at least on a par with those provided to the community generally. Some additional supports such as psychological supports focussed specifically on asylum seekers are also provided. Other organisations also provide supports locally and nationally, many of which (such as Spirasi's Centre for the Survivors of Torture) receive funding from the HSE.
In this connection, it cannot be emphasised enough that RIA takes the issue of child welfare, and the protection of residents generally, very seriously. RIA has had a child protection policy, based on the HSE's Children First Policy, in place since 2006. There is a specific unit in RIA called the Child and Family Services Unit, which is fully staffed and whose role is to manage, deliver, coordinate, monitor and plan all matters relating to child and family services for all asylum seekers residing in the direct provision system. It also acts as a conduit between RIA and the HSE, the latter having statutory functions in this area. Moreover, all staff in centres must be Garda vetted and comply with RIA's child protection policy, a copy of which is available on its website - www.ria.gov.ie. This is in furtherance of RIA's policy which has as its principal aim the minimisation of risk to children and vulnerable adults residing in its centres.
In terms of an independent external enquiry into the direct provision system ,I have already indicated that it cannot be viewed separately from the overall asylum and immigration system which is ultimately a matter of Government policy subject to scrutiny and oversight by the Oireachtas. Over the years, the system has been open to scrutiny by many national and international bodies. Centres have been visited by various international bodies, including the UNHCR, the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner, by the Council of Europe European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), and others. On 6 October, 2011, in Geneva I appeared before the UN Human Rights Committee in connection with its scrutiny of Ireland under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Process . No recommendation was made in relation to the Direct Provision system in the Committee's subsequent UPR report on Ireland.
The practical day to day operation of the system is,of course subject to inspection, including independent inspection.. All accommodation centres under contract to RIA are obliged to ensure that their premises comply with and operate in accordance with all relevant statutory requirements of local authorities in relation to planning, building, bye-laws, bedroom capacity, food, food hygiene, water supply, sewage disposal, fire precautions, and general safety. Inspections of the direct provision centres are carried out by RIA inspectors, an external Inspectorate (QTS Ltd), plus other inspections for fire safety and food safety (EHO). As already cited, a comprehensive review on the operation of the asylum seeker accommodation programme was carried out and the subsequent report - "Value for Money and Policy Review - Asylum Seeker Accommodation Programme" - was published in May 2010. A copy of this review is available on the RIA website at www.ria.gov.ie.