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Direct Provision System

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2021

Wednesday, 5 May 2021

Questions (438, 439, 442)

Holly Cairns

Question:

438. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the finding in the Ombudsman for Children report Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision that the direct provision model does not have the best interests of children or the protection and promotion of the human rights of child refugees at its core; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23036/21]

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Holly Cairns

Question:

439. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the immediate steps he is taking to address the child safeguarding concerns raised in the Ombudsman for Children report Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23037/21]

View answer

Holly Cairns

Question:

442. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the immediate steps he is taking to address the child safeguarding concerns raised in the Ombudsman for Children report Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23050/21]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 438, 439 and 442 together.

My Department welcomes the Report of the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) “Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision” and accepts its recommendations in full.

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department has embarked upon a series of actions, planned for the short to medium term which will build upon existing work to ensure the recommendations of the OCO will be implemented as quickly as possible.

The key priority will be to move all remaining children and families still in residing in congregated hotel style living, to own door or independent living accommodation. In order to step away completely from the use of emergency accommodation alternative suitable locations must be found. As such, a new full public procurement will take place in 2021 with the aim of securing the additional spaces required to end the use of emergency accommodation by IPAS.

The procurement will have a specific focus on the provision of child friendly accommodation that will allow parents and children to enjoy a normal private family life.

As the Deputy may be aware a new Vulnerability Assessment process is currently being piloted by the IPAS. The pilot commenced in December 2020 and was extended to all new applicants for International Protection from the beginning of February. The purpose of these assessments is to determine if an applicant is deemed to have special reception needs, what those needs are and what actions are required to address those needs. Assessment questions are based on the various categories of vulnerability identified within the EU Reception Conditions Directive 2013/33/EU, and have been refined within the Irish context with the help of the HSE.

A new Resident Welfare Team has been established within IPAS to case-manage individual families, and single residents, identified as having special reception needs and to ensure that those needs continue to be identified and addressed in the most appropriate way possible. The Resident Welfare Team will be a multi-disciplinary team with experts from the fields of education, health and childcare seconded.

IPAS is also committed to working with Tusla during 2021 to develop interagency protocols and operating procedures that will support the sharing of case information between Tusla and IPAS and to track and monitor referrals and cases from beginning to end.

All existing centres and all new centres are required to develop a child safeguarding statement. IPAS will work with Tusla to ensure compliance with child safeguarding statements and Children First legislation is audited this year. IPAS will be ensuring that child safeguarding statements are translated and made available to all residents. Additional child safety training will also be rolled out to all centre managers as COVID restrictions allow.

A new dedicated Customer Services Team has also been established in IPAS and, as well as strengthening the existing resident complaints system, this team will be taking a more proactive approach to dealing with residents' issues, actively engaging with residents through customer feedback mechanisms and focus groups in the months ahead.

The Deputy will also be aware that I published A White Paper to End Direct Provision and to establish a New International Protection Support Service on 26 February 2021. The new model has the human rights of children at its core. The new International Protection system will respect the rights of children and will provide child-friendly services, including a child-friendly vulnerability assessment. This was agreed with the OCO during the development of the White Paper.

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