In response to Covid-19, many measures have been put in place by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) in conjunction with the HSE. These measures were first implemented from the time that country-wide restrictions were imposed in March and April this year and they continue to be implemented and added to for all our accommodation centres.
Recently, my officials in IPAS prepared a new IPAS living with COVID plan, which aligns IPAS COVID-19 arrangements with the Government’s Framework Plan for Living with COVID 2020-2021.
Under levels 1 to 3 of this plan all IPAS outreach services are operational as normal, including inspections. Under levels 4 and 5, IPAS inspections and centre visits are limited to cases of urgent operational need. In addition IPAS holds only virtual clinics at levels 4 and 5.