Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 November 2021
165. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will end the practice of forcing two or three adults to share small bedrooms in direct provision centres such as at a centre (details supplied); and if he has plans to end the forced overcrowding of single persons in direct provision centres, particularly in view of the current alarming rise in Covid-19 infection rates. [55148/21]
View answerIn regard to Covid-19 case numbers, together with the HSE, the Department has put in place a range of measures in all of the Accommodation Centres to address any cases of Covid-19 if or when they arise. These measures include provision for self-isolation facilities in Centres and a number of offsite self-isolation centres around the State. In all matters related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department works collaboratively with the HSE to implement their public health advice.
The established procedure across all centres where a person is suspected of having the virus or is confirmed as having the virus, is that, where advised by Public Health, they are moved to a dedicated offsite self-isolation facility. Supports are available for the duration of their period of isolation until such time as the HSE considers that they can safely return to their centre.
The services provided by IPAS are, of course, demand-led and, as demand is currently running higher than predicted, these arrangements are being kept under daily review by my officials to ensure that there is sufficient accommodation to house new arrivals in the State seeking international protection.
As the Deputy is aware, this Government has highlighted the issues with the current system of ‘direct provision’, and the Programme for Government has pledged to replace it with a new system centred on a not-for-profit approach, underpinned by the principles of human rights and the integration of applicants into Irish society from the point of arrival in Ireland. Under the White Paper, there will be a particular focus on children’s rights and on ensuring dignity, privacy and respect for all applicants and their families. The White Paper also contains a commitment to phase out the use of congregated settings by December 2024, when the new system is scheduled to be fully rolled out.
My Department will shortly publish a tender to procure additional accommodation for families, couples and single people to enable a move away from reliance on emergency accommodation and to ensure that there is sufficient capacity to meet demand, pending the full implementation of the White Paper. Decisions about existing centres will be made based on the Department’s contractual commitments, capacity across the accommodation network, progress in rolling out the new model and the need to ensure that the Department meets its legal and moral obligations to provide accommodation to people who need it while their applications for international protection are being determined.
