The Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers in accordance with the Government Policy of direct provision until such time as their status is resolved to finality. That is to say, they remain in RIA accommodation until such time as they are either removed from the State or are granted some form of status allowing them to stay in the State.
The Direct Provision system is the mechanism through which the State provides for the basic needs of asylum seekers. Full board accommodation and ancillary supports are provided across all direct provision centres. The RIA currently operates 34 accommodation centres across the State with 4,574 residents. Further details can be found on the RIA website at www.ria.gov.ie. Approximately, 480 persons who have permission to remain in the State remain in RIA accommodation and this is directly related, in most cases, to the acute shortage of rental accommodation. Based on experience in previous years, this number will reduce over the summer months as residents source private accommodation following the end of the school year for their children.
Once an RIA resident has been granted some form of status allowing them remain in the State, they are then in a position to apply for a range of social welfare supports, including rent supplement (or Housing Assistance Payments where those apply). Naturally, there is a lead-in time for such persons during which they register for appropriate supports, including sourcing their own accommodation outside of the direct provision system, arranging school placements for their children and linking with any specialist medical or other supports at their new address. In addition to the time taken to resolve these issues, the availability of accommodation in the private rented sector and rates of rent may impact on the lead-in time for residents moving on from direct provision accommodation.
Once the RIA is aware that some form of status has been granted, the resident is written to notifying them that they should commence planning for their future outside the direct provision system. The 'moving on process' process has extended in recent years largely because of the increasing difficulties in sourcing private accommodation. It is not a situation of RIA's making and quite clearly neither it nor the Department would render people homeless in circumstances not within their control.
