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Direct Provision System

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 September 2020

Wednesday, 9 September 2020

Ceisteanna (240, 241)

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

240. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the number of single rooms provided within the direct provision system; the criteria for allocation of single rooms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22813/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

241. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons in direct provision housed in single, double, twin and triple rooms, in four-bed, five-bed and in rooms with more than five beds respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22814/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 240 and 241 together.

The State is obliged under domestic and international law to examine the application of anyone who arrives at the State to claim international protection. While we are examining their application, all applicants are offered accommodation and other supports such as healthcare, education for children and a weekly payment for personal expenditure. The provision of accommodation is demand-led, based on the number of applicants arriving to claim international protection and requiring accommodation.

My Department maintains statistics of the number of residents housed in each centre on a weekly basis. However, the configuration of each centre and the room makeup is constantly changing as new applicants are placed in accommodation; people with a status or permission to remain move to accommodation in the community; and transfers take place between accommodation centres.

Therefore, my Department does not maintain statistics on the room configuration of the accommodation centres. It has not been possible in the time available to compile the data requested and to do so would require significant diversion of resources. However, I can provide the following information in respect of occupancy of our accommodation centres, including emergency accommodation as of 12 August 2020. At that time, there were 709 rooms containing two unrelated people sharing and 131 rooms containing 3 unrelated people sharing in our accommodation centres.

We have ensured at this time that no more than three unrelated people are sharing a room in any of our centres and that will remain our policy when the COVID-19 crisis is over.

In general, the criteria for the allocation of single occupancy rooms would be a medical requirement and/or a disability or a particular vulnerability. In addition, during the current pandemic, persons self-isolating or cocooning would be allocated single occupancy rooms if they are not part of a family group.

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