Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2021
558. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons living in direct provision centres to date in 2021; the position on direct provision centres; if inspections are carried out; if so, the regularity with which inspections are carried out; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4072/21]
View answerAs of the week ending 24 January 2021, there were a total of 6,986 people in the International Protection process being accommodated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department.
As you will be aware the Programme for Government contains a commitment to ending the Direct Provision system and replacing it with a new International Protection accommodation policy. The Government has also committed to the development of a White Paper which will set out how this new system will be structured and the steps to achieving it.
My Department is currently developing the White Paper which will set out options, together with the recommended direction, for the new model of accommodation and services for International Protection applicants and the transitional processes needed to implement the model. Options for developing a not-for-profit approach are currently being examined in this regard. In view of the extent of change proposed, the White Paper will take some more time than originally envisaged and it is now expected to be published in February.
It is recognised by all involved that the replacement of the current system is complex and that it will take some time. Therefore, in order to meet our legal obligations to provide accommodation and other support services for protection applicants, existing accommodation centres will continue to operate in the transitional period. We will focus on the provision of own-door accommodation and facilities to allow for independent living (access to cooking and laundry facilities and communal family areas outside bedrooms) and on reducing our use of hotels and guest-houses as an emergency measure. In this respect we have reduced the number of such premises currently being utilised to 25 from a high of 44 early in 2020.
Accommodation centres are currently subject to regular unannounced inspections by both my officials in IPAS and an independent inspectorate company (QTS Limited).
These inspections are generally undertaken, twice yearly by my officials in IPAS and once yearly by QTS Limited. Inspections cover a wide range of issues including the quality of the food quality, fire safety, appropriate signage and information for residents, the condition of communal areas and sleeping quarters and adherence to hygiene and other health and safety measures. Completed inspections are published on www.ria.gov.ie.
My Department is currently engaging with HIQA about undertaking the role of monitoring the services provided to those accommodated in our centres against National Standards that were published in 2019. The National Standards meet the requirements of the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive (Directive 2013/33/EU) which we voluntarily opted into in June 2018.
We hope to begin this monitoring by HIQA in the coming months. A strong and transparent monitoring capacity is crucial to ensure that quality of service is maintained during the significant transformation process that will occur over the coming years.
The current inspection programme was severely compromised by the COVID -19 pandemic. All inspections were suspended temporarily during the first phase of COVID-19 restrictions but they recommenced on 14 September 2020 with all necessary safeguards in place. With the exception of the new accommodatio centre in Dominick Street, Galway (which was not fully occupied until late 2020) all our designated international protection accommodation centres were inspected at least once by IPAS officials with 21 centres being inspected twice by IPAS officials. Furthermore QTS carried out an additional 29 inspections in 2020. This gives a combined total of 94 inspections carried out in 2020.
Currently due to restrictions under level 5 of the Government’s Living with Covid response, inspections are not taking place but it is hoped to resume them as soon as public health conditions allow.
