Written Answers Nos. 138-157
138. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a provision whereby it is accepted policy for schools targeting children with special educational needs to be able to provide special needs assistant support and thus not have their funding for such cut entirely. [28177/18]
View answerThe National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for allocating a quantum of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for each school annually taking into account the assessed care needs of children qualifying for SNA support enrolled in the school.
The NCSE allocates SNA support to schools in accordance with the criteria set out in Department Circular 0030/2014, which is available on the Department's website at www.education.ie, in order that students who have care needs can access SNA support as and when it is needed.
In considering applications for SNA supports for individual pupils, the NCSE take account of the pupils' needs and consider the resources available to the school to identify whether additionality is needed or whether the school might reasonably be expected to meet the needs of the pupils from its current level of resources.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource.
SNA allocations to all schools can change from year to year as children with care needs leave the school, as new children with care needs enrol in a school and as children develop more independent living skills and their care needs diminish over time.
My Department’s policy is to ensure that every child who is assessed as needing SNA support will receive access to such support. In line with this policy, I announced last month that 800 additional SNAs will be allocated for the beginning of the next school year, with a further 140 expected to be allocated by the end of the year.
By the end of this year, there will be a total of 15,000 Special Needs Assistants working in our schools, a 42% increase on 2011.
139. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the person or body that has ownership of the site of a campus (details supplied). [28218/18]
View answerRegarding the property referred to by the Deputy, I can confirm that it is not in the ownership of my Department. The owner of the site is Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board.
140. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he had a contingency plan in place when a company (details supplied) went into examinership in January 2018; and if not, the reason therefor [28219/18]
View answerIn April 2018 when the company referred to by the Deputy entered into the examinership, my Department worked closely with the ETB’s concerned to monitor closely the progress of projects during this period. As part of contingency planning arrangements, officials from my Department and the relevant ETBs met with the contractor and the examiner in mid-April to discuss their plans to deliver the outstanding school projects. While work was continuing on one project, work has ceased on three other projects and these contracts were terminated in early May. The final contract was terminated upon the liquidation of the contractor in June 2018.
In the case of all projects, steps have been taken to put alternative arrangements in place and I have requested my officials to provide me with a critical path for the completion of the outstanding projects and to consider how each stage in that critical path can be delivered as quickly as possible while also ensuring that the quality and integrity of the project is fully protected. Etender notices have already been published seeking expressions of interest from contractors wishing to be considered for the completion of two of the projects and a further eTenders will be published later this week in respect of the third project. Identification of all outstanding works necessary to complete all schools is also on-going. This is the normal process followed when an insolvency event occurs.
141. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department will now take back full ownership of a building (details supplied). [28220/18]
View answer142. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a more proactive approach was not taken regarding a campus (details supplied) in view of concerns that led to his Department instigating the Thorn investigation. [28221/18]
View answer143. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide the facilities that the schools in Maynooth need before the new term in September 2018 and subsequent years while the community in Maynooth and its hinterlands are awaiting the school. [28222/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 141 to 143, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy is aware the delivery of the two schools in question has been devolved to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB) under a Service Level Agreement (SLA). In total, a SLA requires 18 interactions between my Department’s Planning and Building Unit and the relevant agency delivering the project during the lifetime of the project. These interactions are specifically itemised in the SLA. Their purpose is to ensure that individual projects are delivered in accordance with the approved project brief, that both Department design guidelines and public procurement procedures are adhered to and that the project is delivered within the approved budget.
As KWETB are the patron of both schools and own the site, the delivery of the two schools will remain with them. Since the liquidation of the contractor, KWETB, their design team and officials from my Department’s Planning and Building Unit have been working closely to ensure that a new contractor is appointed as quickly as possible to complete both schools. An eTender's notice has been forwarded to eTenders for publication seeking expressions of interest from contractors wishing to be considered for the completion of the project. The notice will be published later this week. Identification of all outstanding works necessary to complete both schools is also on-going.
My Department is also liaising with KWETB to ensure that both schools have the necessary accommodation to meet pupil needs pending the delivery of their new school buildings.
144. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the works schedule for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28245/18]
View answer145. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated completion date for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28246/18]
View answer146. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Education and Skills the contingency planning for a school (details supplied) in the event that the new school building is not completed in September 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28247/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 144 to 146, inclusive, together.
The school building project to which the Deputy refers is currently at Tender Stage. The tender return date was the 6th June 2018. It is anticipated that construction will commence in Quarter 3 this year. The construction period is 44 weeks. The new school is due to be ready for occupation by September 2019.
147. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to restoring the visiting teacher system for Traveller children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28271/18]
View answerAs my colleague will be aware the statutory and policy remit in area of attendance, participation and retention in the school system lies with the Education Welfare Service of Tusla which incorporates the function of the former Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers.
In May 2011 a range of functions under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, including the operation of the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB) and the integrated services under its remit were transferred from the Minister of Education and Skills to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. The full budget for the National Educational Welfare Board transferred to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The relevant functions and related funding subsequently transferred to TUSLA on its establishment in January 2014.
The Visiting Teacher Service for Travellers ceased in September 2011 in line with Departmental policy on the mainstreaming of supports for all children including Travellers. Traveller children continue to be supported by the integrated Educational Welfare Service of Tusla.
In response to actions in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy and my Departments DEIS Plan, a 2 year Pilot Programme is being developed to target attendance, participation and school completion in specific Traveller and Roma Communities regionally. Tusla is leading this initiative and my Department is working in collaboration them, the Department of Justice and Equality along with the Traveller and Roma representative bodies and Communities.
My Department also continues to provide a number of Traveller-specific supports to assist with the transition to the mainstream system of pupils, previously provided for in segregated provision. These comprise of:
- 141 alleviation resource teacher posts for schools with significant numbers of Travellers at a current cost of €8.46 million.
- Additional pupil capitation for Travellers at a rate of €70 per pupil for Primary, and €201 per pupil for Post Primary at a current cost of €1.11m.
148. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of victims of sex abuse by those that have been convicted of same that have not had access to the redress scheme due to not having made a prior complaint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28280/18]
View answerThe Deputy may be referring to the ex-gratia scheme established in the aftermath of the ECHR judgment in the Louise O’Keeffe case. Since this Judgement, the State Claims Agency (SCA) which is mandated to act on behalf of the State in cases of historic child abuse, has been notified of many claims. These are either (a) claims which are entirely newly instituted or (b) are pre-existing claims against school authorities and in which claimants are now more recently seeking to join the State as a respondent. The number of such claims is 170. Information on whether the individual claims to be a victim of a convicted abuser is privileged.
The SCA has engaged and will continue to engage with claimants’ solicitors to clarify the circumstances of new claimants’ claims and to make settlement offers where the claims come within the terms of the ECtHR Judgement and are not statute barred.
The position of historical cases which were discontinued has, as you may know, been reviewed. In July 2015, the Government agreed to respond to those persons who had instituted legal proceedings in relation to school child sexual abuse which were subsequently discontinued by offering ex gratia payments to those persons who come within the terms of the ECHR judgment and whose claims were not statute barred at the time of their discontinuance.
Persons who believe that their cases come within the criteria can contact the SCA and provide supporting evidence. The SCA has received 49 applications of which 44 applications have been declined. All of the applications that were declined were advised that they could apply to Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill, the independent assessor I appointed in November 2017, for an independent assessment of their application. 21 people have applied for this assessment.
Mr Justice O’Neill has looked for a submission on: ‘whether the imposition of the condition which required that there had to be evidence of a prior complaint of child sexual abuse on the part of the employee in question to the school authority (or a school authority in which the employee has previously worked), to establish eligibility for a payment under the ex gratia scheme, is consistent with and a correct implementation of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Louise O’Keeffe v. Ireland’
The submission forwarded to Mr Justice O’Neill on 27th April was prepared with the advice and assistance of the Attorney General and Senior Counsel and is now published on the Department's website.
149. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the previous time he or his officials met a group of sex abuse victims that have not had access to the redress scheme due to no prior complaint having been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28281/18]
View answerThe Deputy may be referring to the ex-gratia scheme established following the ECHR judgment in the Louise O'Keffe case. While I am very familiar with individual cases who are in the position that they don't meet the terms of the ex-gratia scheme, neither I nor my officials have met with this group of sex abuse victims. I have, however, met with the Deputy on a number of occasions to discuss the issue of child sex abuse and some of the individual cases that fall into this category.
150. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the process and progress on the extension for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28282/18]
View answerThe building project referred to by the Deputy is for an extension and refurbishment to bring the school up to a 12-classroom school incorporating a 3-class Special Needs Unit (SNU).
The project has recently commenced the Design Team and Project Supervisor of the Design Process (PSDP) appointment procedure whereby an Architect, Civil & Structural Engineer, Mechanical and Electrical Engineer, a Quantity Surveyor and a PSDP will be appointed. This appointment process will be complete in the coming week.
On completion of the Design Team appointment, the Design Team will commence Stage 1 of Architectural Planning which consists of - Site Suitability, Site Report and Initial Sketch Scheme. The school is involved in the appointment process and was represented in conducting a marking exercise with Department officials on 13th June 2018.
151. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Education and Skills if e-car charging points are provided at his Department's buildings in Dublin or in other locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28393/18]
View answerThe details sought by the Deputy are not readily available. Officials in my Department are collating the information and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it becomes available.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
152. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the parts of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 that have been commenced; the parts that have yet to be commenced; the progress made on disability legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28102/18]
View answer165. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the provisions of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015 will be implemented in full; the progress made to date in implementing same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28383/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 165 together.
The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 provides a modern statutory framework to support decision-making by adults with capacity difficulties. The Act was signed into law on 30 December 2015.
New administrative processes and support measures, including the setting up of the Decision Support Service within the Mental Health Commission (a body under the Department of Health), must be put in place before the substantive provisions of the Act can be commenced. A high-level Steering Group comprised of senior officials from the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Health, the Mental Health Commission and the Courts Service, together with the Director of the Decision Support Service, is overseeing the establishment and commissioning of the Decision Support Service (DSS) and this work is ongoing.
The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 515 of 2016), brought some provisions of Part 1 (Preliminary and General) and Part 9 (Director of the Decision Support Service) of the Act into operation on 17 October 2016. These provisions were brought into operation in order to progress the setting up of the DSS and to enable the process of recruitment of the Director of the DSS to begin. Ms Áine Flynn was appointed Director of the Decision Support Service on 2 October 2017.
The Minister for Health, under the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) (No. 2) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 517 of 2016), brought into operation on 17 October 2016 some provisions of Part 8 of the Act relating to advance healthcare directives. The commenced provisions provide for the establishment by the Minister for Health of a multi-disciplinary group to advise in relation to codes of practice on advance healthcare directives.
The key preparations are being put in place under the oversight of the Steering Group to allow for further commencement orders for the provisions of the 2015 Act to be made when the DSS is ready to roll out the new decision-making support options. The Director is also working in a very determined way to get the necessary staff resources, processes, IT system, expert panels, codes of practice and regulations in place in order that the Decision Support Service can be up and running as quickly as possible. There are many complex strands to this work, including involvement of multiple organisations.
Every effort is underway to ensure that the Decision Support Service has all necessary capacity to open for business as soon as possible. My Department has received an outline implementation plan from the Director which contains monthly milestones for realisation of the objective of an active DSS. As time goes on, every effort will be made by all sides to achieve tightening of the timeframes where possible and the situation will continue to be monitored closely by the Steering Group. The 2018 Budget provides for an allocation of €3 million in the Justice and Equality Vote for the establishment of the Decision Support Service.
The commencement of Part 8 of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act, 2015 which provides for a legislative framework for advance healthcare directives, is a matter for the Minister for Health.
The Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill contains most of the final legislative amendments needed for compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
The Government decided in January 2018 to approve priority drafting for a standalone Bill on deprivation of liberty thereby de-coupling these provisions from the Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.
The Equality Division of my Department is currently working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to progress the remaining committee stage amendments which are mostly technical in nature. There has been some work to streamline content so that only what is absolutely necessary for compliance with the CRPD features in the Bill.
It is envisaged that the Bill will reach Committee Stage as soon as possible following the summer recess.
153. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to address fraudulent or exaggerated insurance claims as they apply to small business; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28260/18]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Cost of Insurance Working Group was established by the Minister for Finance in July 2016. A significant factor in the rising cost of insurance, identified in both the first and second reports of the Working Group (on (i) motor insurance and (ii) employer's liability/public liability respectively), is the impact of fraudulent insurance claims. As such, the reports include a number of recommendations relating to insurance fraud.
An initial roundtable was convened by the Department of Finance in late 2017 to listen to the views of all of the key stakeholders in relation to insurance fraud. Additional fraud roundtable sessions have been convened this year to progress a number of specific recommendations contained in the Working Group’s ‘Report on the Cost of Employer and Public Liability Insurance’, published in January this year. Recommendations 11 and 12 of the report relate to the production of statistics by An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service on complaints, investigations, prosecutions and convictions relating to fraud within the personal injuries area. My Department has liaised with the Garda authorities in relation to the production of these statistics, and I am informed that the necessary Pulse update is anticipated to be in place by the end of June 2018.
Recommendation 13 of the same report recommends that Insurance Ireland, An Garda Síochána and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions agree a set of guidelines in respect of the reporting of suspected fraudulent insurance claims. While guidelines were published in 2004, the Working Group noted that these have only been used to a very limited extent over the years and proposed that a new set of guidelines should be developed, using the 2004 protocol as a starting point.
In line with the intention to use the existing guidelines to inform the drafting of new, fit for purpose guidelines, An Garda Síochána produced a draft document which was communicated to Insurance Ireland. The draft document proposed a number of changes to the section of the existing guidelines concerning the station or section within An Garda Síochána to which a formal complaint should be made. Insurance Ireland signalled its agreement with the changes proposed at the roundtable session of 26 March. It was agreed that further consultations with stakeholders regarding the proposed guidelines would take place, including with insurance providers not represented by Insurance Ireland; two such consultations have already been held and the next meeting of the Roundtable, scheduled for later this week (29 June 2018), will aim to finalise the new guidelines in the context of the feedback received in these consultations. Agreement on the new set of guidelines is expected to be completed on time in Quarter 3 2018.
The fraud roundtable process also intends to examine the follow-on procedure in circumstances where fraud or exaggeration is identified in court or acknowledged by a judge. Recommendation 12 of the Working Group’s ‘Report on the Cost of Employer and Public Liability Insurance’ proposes that where an application under Section 26 of the Civil Liability Act 2004 is successful, this fact should be communicated to An Garda Síochána by the Courts Service. I understand that the fraud roundtable is currently engaging with the Courts Service in this regard.
The Deputy may be interested to note that the Department of Finance issues regular quarterly updates on its website in relation to the implementation of the respective reports of the Cost of Insurance Working Group, the latest (fifth) of which was published on 11 May 2018; the quarterly progress update for Quarter 2 will be published next month and will refer to the current status of all the recommendations from both reports.
154. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties being experienced by Kuwaiti persons trying to obtain short-stay visas for Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28266/18]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that visa applications received from residents of Kuwait are processed by the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi. The current processing time for 'short stay' visas from Kuwaiti nationals is well within the target timeframe for the processing of visa applications, with an average processing time of 5 working days at present, and the overall grant rate for applications received to date in 2018 is 99%. A total of 1,030 applications were made in 2017, with a 98% grant rate.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
155. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if a family member or a relation can act as a character referee in respect of a person making a request for a licence for a firearm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28092/18]
View answerSection 4 of the Firearms Act 1925, as amended, provides the conditions to be satisfied prior to an issuing person granting a firearm certificate. Further information may be sought from an applicant by an issuing person, including the names and addresses of two referees who may be contacted to attest to the applicant's character, under Section 4(3) of the Act.
I am advised by An Garda Síochána that it is important to ensure that referees have an adequate knowledge of the applicant. In that regard, regular contact, whether in a professional, business or social context, with an applicant for a period of at least five years is an example of adequate knowledge of the applicant. I am also advised that referees need not have any knowledge of firearms or shooting sports, but they should be in a position to comment on the applicant’s general character and background and an issuing person may consider that a referee should be over 18 years of age. Accordingly, An Garda Síochána have confirmed that a family member or relation would be considered suitable to act as a referee in respect of a person making an application for a firearms certificate.
156. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who were issued with letters from INIS in the wake of a Supreme Court judgment (details supplied) advising them that their case was being considered in view of the judgment; the number of positive decisions that have issued by type of permission granted; the number of negative decisions that have issued; and the number of applications still awaiting a decision. [28096/18]
View answerI am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that this case relates to a number of persons who brought a Judicial Review to the High Court. As the proceedings are still sub judice I do not propose to comment further at this time.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
157. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of adults and children in direct provision in each of the past four years; the country of origin; the status of the implementation of the recommendations of the McMahon report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28098/18]
View answerThe Report of the Working Group to Report to Government on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers, also known as the Justice McMahon report, was published in June 2015. Its recommendations have implications for a number of Government Departments and services.
My Department has since published three progress reports on the implementation of its 173 recommendations; the first in June 2016, the second in February of 2017 and a third and final report in July of 2017. All three reports are available to view on my Department's website www.justice.ie.
The final progress report shows that 133 recommendations have been reported as fully implemented and a further 36 are in progress or partially implemented. This represents a 98% full or partial implementation rate.
The improvements to living conditions for applicants for international protection have been significant over recent years. These include the implementation of self or communal catering arrangements in a number of accommodation centres. As a result of this initiative, over 1,500 residents are now able to prepare meals of their own choosing. In addition, there have been improvements to a number of outdoor playgrounds and football pitches to provide for ‘all-weather’ facilities and the introduction of teenagers rooms in centres to provide social areas for this age group. Friends of the Centre groups have also been established in each centre. This initiative aims to bring residents, community and voluntary groups together with a view to increasing integration opportunities and providing for the development of greater community linkages with the residents and the centre.
Following on from the McMahon Report, a Standards Advisory Group was set up in 2017. The work of this group is to build on the recommendations of McMahon and to develop a set of standards for accommodation provided for those people seeking the protection of the State. The Standards will meet the minimum standards set out in the Recast Reception Conditions Directive and EASO Guidance on Reception Conditions: Operational Standards and Indicators and will also take account of national developments in the provision of services to those in the protection process. They will take due cognisance of the responsibility to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by policies and plans as defined by the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty. The group is comprised of members from a range of organisations supporting refugees as well as staff from a number of government Departments and will deliver a Working Document in September 2018 following widespread consultation.
The Government approved an opt into the EU (Recast) Reception Conditions Directive (2013/33/EU). The decision to opt-in to the Directive will bring Ireland into line with our EU partners and place the entire system on a legislative basis, which will be subject to EU oversight. This is a significant and positive measure, not only in addressing the issue of labour market access, but also extending to children’s rights, rights for unaccompanied minors, vulnerable people, new appeals processes, healthcare and education provision. By opting into the Directive, another important recommendation of the Justice McMahon report will be implemented bringing Ireland into line with the European Union norms.
I remain fully committed to working with all stakeholders, some of whom will have differing views on the extent of implementation of some recommendations, to ensure the continuing implementation of a wide range of reforms in this area, including those recommended by the Justice McMahon report.
Number of people in Direct Provision accommodation as of 22.06.2018 broken down by Nationality and Adult/Child:
|
Nationality |
Adult |
Child |
Total |
|
Nigeria |
422 |
278 |
700 |
|
Pakistan |
502 |
167 |
669 |
|
Zimbabwe |
488 |
177 |
665 |
|
Albania |
323 |
134 |
457 |
|
Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The |
228 |
123 |
351 |
|
Others |
2003 |
668 |
2671 |
|
Total |
3966 |
1547 |
5513 |
The historical information provided in relation to the years 2014 – 2016 below is taken from the Annual Reports of the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department which are available on their website www.ria.gov.ie under the ‘publications’ heading. The 2017 Annual Report of RIA has not been published yet and, therefore, the figures provided for that year have been taken from the monthly report for December 2017 which is also publicly available on the RIA website.
As described in the published RIA reports, the statistics with regards to numbers and demographics of those in RIA accommodation are primarily drawn from two sources. The first source is from centre weekly returns, based on a ‘snapshot’ of occupancy each Sunday evening. In other cases, in order to get a demographic breakdown of RIA residents, statistics are produced from the RIA database. As a matter of course, there is usually a slight discrepancy between the numbers sourced by both methods, as the daily numbers “on the ground” in centres, as per the centre returns, has to be processed by RIA staff and subsequently reflected “live on system” on the database.
At the end of 2017, RIA was accommodating 5,096 persons and 5,344 (3,924 Adults and 1,420 Children) were recorded as live on the database. The top five nationalities for RIA residents that year were: Pakistan, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Albania.
At the end of 2016, RIA was accommodating 4,425 persons and 4,465 (3,334 Adults and 1,131 Children) were recorded as live on the database. The top five nationalities for RIA residents that year were: Pakistan Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Albania and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At the end of 2015, RIA was accommodating 4,696 persons and 4,885 (3,673 Adults and 1,212 Children) were recorded as live on the database. The top five nationalities for RIA residents that year were: Pakistan, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
At the end of 2014, RIA was accommodating 4,364 persons, and 4,275 (2,823 Adults and 1,452 Children) were recorded as live on the database. The top five nationalities for RIA residents that year were: Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
It is important to note that not all of those who apply for international protection choose to reside in Direct Provision accommodation and that there are also people residing in Direct Provision that are no longer in the protection process (such as those that have received international protection status or have Deportation Orders issued against them and are obliged to remove themselves from the State).
