Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
644. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of progress on establishing an independent inspectorate for direct provision centres; if the Health Act 2007 will be amended to extend the remit of HIQA to undertake independent inspections of direct provision centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50501/21]
View answerThe Government intends that the accommodation centres operated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), which is part of my Department, will be independently monitored by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) for compliance with the National Standards for accommodation offered to people in the protection process. These standards were adopted by Government in 2019.
My Department is currently engaging with HIQA and the Department of Health to undertake the preparatory work with regard to HIQA's monitoring role. In parallel with this process, work is being undertaken to determine the legislative underpinning for HIQA's monitoring role, and as such no decision has yet been reached on whether the Health Act 2007 will need to be amended.
