Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 April 2014
477. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the lines of communication between his Department and RIA; the frequency of meetings; the procedures for dealing with issues that occur in direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17534/14]
View answerThe Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) and is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers while their application for protection in the State is being processed.
The staff of RIA and of INIS are civil servants of the Department and are not separate to it. RIA produces information on its operation on a regular basis and publishes the information on its website: www.ria.gov.ie. This information comprises details of the functions of RIA; monthly statistics; annual reports; policy documents; value for money reports; inspection reports; etc., and are publicly available to all. RIA has continuous day-to-day interaction with other units within INIS and the Department. The Principal Officer of RIA attends regular meetings of INIS and the Assistant Secretary with administrative responsibility for RIA attends meetings of the Management Advisory Committee of the Department as does the Director General of INIS. There is full and regular exchange of information on RIA work within the Department.
