Skip to main content
Normal View

Direct Provision System

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 May 2021

Thursday, 27 May 2021

Questions (90)

Brian Stanley

Question:

90. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons in direct provision centres who are sharing bedrooms with non-family members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28443/21]

View answer

Written answers

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department maintains statistics on the number of residents housed in each centre on a weekly basis. However, as I am sure you will appreciate, the configuration of each centre and the room makeup is constantly changing as new applicants are placed in accommodation, people with a protection status or permission to remain move to accommodation in the community and transfers take place between accommodation centres.

Given the scope of this exercise, IPAS now collates these figures on a quarterly basis. I can inform the Deputy that on 31 March 2021 the number of unrelated single residents sharing a room in IPAS accommodation was 1,892. This comprises 1,171 residents in a room assigned to 2 people and 721 residents in a room assigned to 3 people. It should be noted that some of these 2 and 3 person rooms may not be fully occupied at any given time for a variety of operational reasons. In line with IPAS policy, there are no more than 3 unrelated single persons sharing a room with other people.

My Department has commenced work on a Request for Tender to procure additional accommodation for single people and families seeking international protection. This tender process 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). It is my intention that this will allow us to improve the quality of the accommodation and services offered to applicants and to move away from reliance on temporary based accommodation and to ensure that the Department has adequate capacity and can respond flexibly to increases in demand for accommodation as they arise. It is also intended to reduce the number of single people sharing rooms with non-family members.

Top
Share