Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 May 2023
547. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the duty of care that he has provided to all emergency accommodation recipients under his Department with basic habitation and sanitation standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21573/23]
View answerIreland has responded to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War. Since February 2022, my Department has worked to accommodate an unprecedented volume of persons seeking refuge following the invasion of Ukraine including 81,000 people arriving in Ireland, of which 60,000 have sought accommodation from this Department.
Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who require it remains immensely challenging. Due to the urgent need to source accommodation, the Department has contracted in excess of 47,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 770 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.
The priority is to place people fleeing the war in safe and secure accommodation.
I would like to assure the Deputy that the health and wellbeing of all people who avail of accommodation provided by this Department is of the highest priority to me and my officials.
I am advised by my officials that as part of our contractual arrangements with accommodation providers for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) we set out a number of requirements which providers must meet in terms of service provision, including delivery of key services, laundry, meals (including cultural/dietary requirements) in serviced accommodation, and cooking facilities in self-catering accommodation, and compliance with all obligations in terms of health and safety, child protection etc. Any alleged breaches of the foregoing are investigated by the Department.
As of 30 April 2023, there are over 20,320 people in IPAS accommodation, compared with 8,575 in February 2022.
IPAS centres are operating at full capacity across the accommodation system due to the record numbers of people arriving to Ireland seeking international protection (IP). Officials continue to seek accommodation solutions to the increasing numbers of IP arrivals. As of cob 03 May there were 593 International Protection applicants to whom unfortunately, the Department has been unable to offer accommodation.
Emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country to alleviate pressure in the system. There have been in excess of 135 emergency accommodation locations opened since January 2022. These options are necessary in order to provide shelter to IP arrivals to meet basic needs and to prevent homelessness.
It is important to note that there are inspections carried out under the current system. At present, all IPAS permanent accommodation centres are subject to three unannounced inspections per year. In 2022, inspections were carried out in each centre by an independent inspections company (QTS Ltd) and one by officials of the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS). The third round of inspections were delayed as the usual mid-year round of inspections due to the Department’s response to the Ukraine crisis. In 2022, all IPAS centres with the exception of two permanent centres had two inspections carried out. Five centres had three inspections carried out.
IPAS is always available to deal with any complaints from residents and residents are encouraged to engage with IPAS if they are unhappy with any aspect of their accommodation. Where a complaint is significant in nature or a resident is not comfortable raising a complaint with a centre manager, they may make the complaint directly, or through a representative authorised to act on their behalf, to the IPAS Customer Service Team. IPAS also funds a dedicated NGO run helpline where residents can raise any concerns or issues they may have.
