Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2021
58. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons admitted to direct provision since January 2020; the number who left direct provision in that time; the arrangements being made to provide independent living units for all these residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35624/21]
View answerThis question relates to the number of people admitted to direct provision since January 2020, the number who have left it since then, and the independent living arrangements that have been made for those who remain in direct provision in line with the programme for Government. The Minister might let us know what is happening in this regard and whether the numbers are going down.
I thank the Deputy for the question. As of Sunday, 27 June 2021, there were 6,465 persons accommodated by the International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS, of my Department across 70 accommodation centres. Of this number, 71%, or 4,564, are being accommodated in centres that provide independent living facilities that include cooking facilities at least. A majority of these enjoy the full suite of independent living requirements, and 33%, or 2,158, have own-door access to their accommodation. In the 46 permanent centres, some 74% of the 7,719 bed spaces allow the resident full access to independent living, with 31% of total bed-space capacity being in own-door units where residents have private cooking facilities in self-contained units, such as apartments. Of the 24 emergency centres, nine provide independent living in the form of cooking facilities.
Regarding the numbers arriving and leaving, I can confirm that 1,007 persons entered IPAS accommodation in 2020 and that 465 persons had entered up to the end of June 2021. Between January 2020 and May 2021, 1,486 persons formally left IPAS accommodation. We do not have the numbers for the period up to the end of June just yet.
My officials are currently developing a tender process to secure additional accommodation for families with children, couples and single people seeking international protection. This is to ensure my Department has adequate capacity and can respond flexibly to increases in demand as they arise and move away from reliance on emergency accommodation. The aim of this process is to improve the quality of the accommodation and services offered to international protection applicants and to align more closely with the aims of the White Paper and with national standards. As the Deputy will be aware, independent living is central to the national standards.
Would I be right in believing that the number who entered in the past year and a half is lower than in previous years? Am I correct that the number leaving has been matched by the number coming in? I would have believed that there was an opportunity in the past year and a half to radically reduce the number in direct provision, no matter how good that provision is. I recognise the progress being made, particularly on independent living but not so much on own-door facilities, although I acknowledge 33% have own-door accommodation. What discussions has the Minister had with the Department of Justice on how to expedite the reduction in the number of people in direct provision?
The Deputy touched on an important point in that the success of the Government's White Paper is predicated on the ability to process claims for international protection in a far more speedy manner than is currently the case. There is a commitment in this regard by the Department of Justice in terms of its response to the report of Dr. Catherine Day. It is a matter on which I have engaged extensively with the Minister, Deputy McEntee. The Minister of State in the Department of Justice, Deputy James Browne, is currently taking responsibility for this. I am to meet him in the near future to discuss it.
Deputy Ó Cuív is correct that there was a significant drop in the number entering in the past 16 months and that approximately the same number left as entered. During the worst period of the Covid pandemic, it was not possible for the Department of Justice to process international protection applications in the same manner as it was before it but that Department is considering a more online and satellite-type approach, including in its initial engagements with applicants. I hope to see its approach maintained after Covid.
I am very disappointed to hear the Department of Justice could not do what the rest of us had to do and continue processing the applications. Most of these processes lend themselves to being completed online.
All sorts of services have been provided very effectively during this period. It seems cruel that people are being retained in direct provision because of the inability of the service to deal with the applications. I wish the Minister all the best in his meeting.
When will the Minister have the number or what is the target for increasing the number of own-door or independent living accommodation? He gave figures of 71% and 33%, respectively. What does the Minister hope to achieve between now and the end of next year, that is in the next year and a half, by way of percentages in independent living and in own-door accommodation?
I thank the Deputy for his support for the process. In respect of the White Paper, we are currently setting out the transition team and the programme board. They will set out a clear set of goals as to what we expect to achieve in 2022, 2023 and by the end of 2024. A procurement process is about to be commenced right now in order that we can move away from those 24 emergency direct provision centres, which are the ones that are least likely to have own-door accommodation or cooking facilities. That tender process will insist upon an independent living model. My goal this year is to end the reliance on emergency accommodation and bring in this new set of direct provision centres that meet the national standards while at the same time working towards the wider vision of ending direct provision by the end of 2024.
