Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 March 2013
502. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is satisfied that the rights, welfare and entitlements of children who live in direct provision accommodation are vindicated under the current system in a manner that is in keeping with the Children First Guidelines; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14683/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset, I would like to clarify that the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) is a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS), a division of the Department of Justice and Equality. RIA is charged with providing accommodation and ancillary services to asylum seekers i.e. adults and their children, under the Direct Provision system while their applications for asylum are processed. Direct Provision centres are monitored three times a year, twice by Department of Justice staff and once by an external company.
The revised Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children was published in July, 2011. The Guidance deals with the recognition, reporting and management of child safety concerns. It sets out a number of key messages relating to the duty to protect children. Among these are that the safety and welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility, that children will have safer lives where everyone is attentive to their wellbeing and that people who work with children across a range of areas understand their responsibility for safe practice and the reporting of concerns. The Guidance sets out specific protocols for HSE social workers, Gardaí and other front line staff in dealing with suspected abuse. The scope of Children First extends beyond the reporting of suspected abuse. It emphasises the importance of multi disciplinary, inter-agency working in the management of such concerns. Key to this is the sharing of information between agencies and disciplines in the best interests of children and the need for full co-operation to ensure better outcomes. The guidance does not deal specifically with the rights and entitlements of children. These issues are dealt with in a range of other documents including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The HSE has advised me that concerns about the welfare, safety or wellbeing of a children in Direct Provision are reported to the HSE Children and Family Services, in line with Children First. Referrals include welfare concerns such as a parent being hospitalised, parental illness, a child being left unsupervised by an adult or mental health concerns regarding the parent, while a smaller number would relate to child protection concerns.
There is a specific unit within RIA - the Child and Family Services Unit - whose role is to manage, deliver, co-ordinate, monitor and plan all matters relating to child and family services for all asylum seekers residing in the direct provision system. This unit also links, where necessary, directly with an Garda Síochána.
Following a recent Seanad debate on this issue, I have been engaging with the HSE to ensure that those children currently residing in Direct Provision are afforded the same levels of welfare and protection that their counterparts in the wider community are afforded.
