Written Answers Nos. 247-266
247. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 621, 622 and 623 of 13 January 2021, if he will order an independent inquiry into the cover-up of alleged abuses at the organisation as per victims’ wishes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2995/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank the Deputy for his further questions on this important matter. I indicated when I met with the Seanad there was a need to explore the matter further before deciding on how best the matters outlined should be progressed.
I met with the Commissioner of St John Ambulance in December and I can report that he and the Chairman of St John Ambulance have informed me that they are taking appropriate steps. I await to hear formally of the measures to be taken.
As I have previously indicated, a number of civil cases are in train in relation to the matter, and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on issues before the courts.
I may have raised this point in a previous response, but because of it's importance I reiterate, if you are aware of other individuals that have had similar experiences, as children, in St. John Ambulance please encourage them to come forward to the relevant authorities, An Garda Síochána and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
248. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the timeline for the enactment of legislation to allow parents the right to apply to their employers for additional parental leave; and the reason for the length of time the process is taking. [3032/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Parental Leave (Amendment) Act 2019 introduced a significant extension to the existing parental leave entitlements, raising the age of the child for whom parental leave may be taken from eight years to twelve. It also extended the parental leave entitlement by 8 weeks, on a phased basis. The last of these increases came into effect on 1 September 2020 and parents are now entitled to 26 weeks leave in total.
Mindful of the recent significant increase in parental leave entitlements, the Government has no plans to make any further amendments to this leave.
The Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019 introduced two weeks of paid parent’s leave for each parent to be taken in the first year after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.
Under proposals approved by Government in December 2020, each parent will be given an additional three weeks of paid parent's leave, and the period in which it can be taken will be extended to the first two years after the birth or adoptive placement of a child.
It is anticipated that the legislation will be introduced in early 2021.
249. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if there are negative implications with regard to State supports for crèche and play school owners that decide not to reopen in January 2021 due to personal concerns related to the Covid-19 pandemic but plan to reopen once they feel it is safe to do so. [3077/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraChildcare services will continue to receive funding under my Department's funding schemes, including ECCE, NCS, CCSP and TEC, where they close:
- under direction of the Government (all services that deliver the pre-school ECCE programme only have been directed to close);
- by direction of public health authorities;
- with force majeure permission to close because they do not have the children of essential workers or vulnerable children in their services, or the parents of those children do not require childcare; or
- with force majeure permission to close for circumstances outside of their control.
Early learning and care and school age childcare services which chose to close, without direction or force majeure permission, will not receive funding under my Department's funding schemes for the period 11 to 31 January, as they will be in breach of their funding contracts.
All childcare services, whether they are open or closed, can continue to claim all-of-economy State supports, including the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS). The EWSS covers, on average, 80% of the wage bill of a childcare provider.
250. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to hold further meetings with representatives from the early childhood care sector to discuss its concerns with regard to reopening play schools and crèches in view of the ongoing public health crisis. [3078/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has held frequent meetings with representatives from the early learning and care and school aged care sector on the operation of childcare services during the Covid-19 pandemic. A Covid-19 Advisory Group was established in May 2020 to provide expert advice and guidance to my Department in preparing for the phased reopening of services, on 29 June and full reopening at the end of August. The Advisory Group includes a number representatives from childcare providers, in both the private and community sectors.
I and my officials are continuing to meet with the Advisory Group on a regular basis to discuss the on-going operation of childcare services. The Advisory Group has met frequently since the re-introduction of Level 5 restrictions, and will continue to meet as necessary. The Advisory Group has been a valuable resource to my Department and I would like to thank all its members for sharing their expertise, and the experiences of childcare providers, staff and parents with my Department.
The next meeting of the group will be held on 22 January.
251. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of home visits conducted by social workers working for Tusla in 2019 and 2020, by year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3149/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
252. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of home visits conducted by social workers working for Tusla in 2020 by month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3150/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
253. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of child protection conferences held by Tusla in each of the years 2018 to 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3151/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy is referring to an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. I have therefore referred the matter to Tusla, and asked that a direct response be provided to the Deputy.
254. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the research that has been or is being undertaken in relation to the impact of Covid-19 on children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3174/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy department monitors emerging research on the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people in Ireland, as well as internationally. In addition, my department has both commissioned and directly undertaken a range of research activities relating to the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people. Details of these research activities are as follows:
- * Published by the ESRI in July 2020, as part of the DCEDIY/ESRI Research Partnership, the report ‘Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for policy in relation to children and young people: A research review’ presents a critical synthesis of existing Irish and international research involving children and young people before and during the COVID-19 pandemic period as a basis for discussing the implications for policy development. For a copy of the report see: https://www.esri.ie/publications/the-implications-of-the-covid-19-pandemic-for-policy-in-relation-to-children-and-young
- * In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, three surveys for Growing Up in Ireland (GUI), the DCEDIY funded national longitudinal study of children, were in the field at the end of 2020. These surveys have collected data regarding the impact of COVID-19 from both parents and 13-year-olds from GUI Cohort ’08, and the 22-year-old GUI Cohort ’98. Because the GUI is a longitudinal survey, the findings can be linked to individual experiences pre-pandemic; it will also deepen and broaden what we know about the long-term impacts of the pandemic on children and young people. Data from these surveys will be published as quickly as possible in the coming months and will be made available to all bona fide researchers.
- * Launched in September 2020 the report, ‘How’s Your Head , details the findings of the national consultation with young people on their experiences of COVID-19. The consultation, in collaboration with SpunOut.ie, sought to understand the impact of COVID-19 on young people with specific focus on their mental health and wellbeing. The survey attracted 2,173 respondents aged 15-24, representing every county in Ireland. For a copy of the report see: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/91f4b-hows-your-head-young-voices-during-covid-19-september-2020/
- *My department undertook a programme of research in response to the COVID-19 closures and phased reopening of the Early Learning and Care (ELC) and School-Age Childcare (SAC) sector. The research included:
- IPSOS MRBI were commissioned by the Department to undertake two waves of a household poll of 500 households with children.
- A survey was administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department to all 4,500 ELC and SAC providers.
- An open online Call for Submissions was issued by the Department, receiving 1916 responses.
In addition, a number of briefs on policy and financial responses in other jurisdictions were prepared. The purpose of this research was to inform policy in the childcare sector by capturing the views of the sector, and by trying to understand the demand for and availability of childcare services post-COVID-19.
- * Data collection exercises, including both interviews and focus groups, intended to gather information on parents’ experiences of parenting supports were undertaken recently. Included in the list of questions were a number concerning the impact of COVID-19 on these experiences.
- * Following a request from the Irish Association of Social Workers (IASW), my department helped fund an online survey of social workers to capture the impact of COVID-19 on their work. The survey ran from 12th May to 29th June and a total of 456 responses were received. In addition to detailing the challenges faced by social workers, the findings also included concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on the children and families with whom social workers routinely interact. Full details of the findings from the survey are available on the IASW website: https://www.iasw.ie/IASW_SocialWork_Covid19Survey.
Combined, the research detailed above represents a significant effort on the part of my department to provide a diversity of insights into the impact of COVID-19 on children and young people, in both the near-term and the long-term. When taken in conjunction with work carried out independently of my department, I believe there is a large body of information emerging to inform policies that help to mitigate the worst impacts of COVID-19 on children and young people.
255. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the pharmaceutical companies involved in non-consensual medical trials in mother and baby homes have liabilities for these actions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3180/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission’s Terms of Reference require it to establish the extent of compliance with relevant regulatory and ethical standards of the time of systemic vaccine trials found to have been conducted on children in one or more of the homes.
In its Final Report, the Commission has identified a total of seven vaccine trials which took place in the institutions under investigation in the period 1934-1973 and has identified a number of the children involved. It has stated that it is clear that there was not compliance with the relevant regulatory and ethical standards of the time as consent was not obtained from either the mothers of the children or their guardians and the necessary licences were not in place.
The Minister is giving further detailed consideration to the chapter of the Commission's Report concerning vaccination trials.
256. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he or his Department released copies of the report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes to journalists ahead of it being made available online to survivors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3182/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe media have an important public service to perform in covering an issue as detailed and important as the Commission's Report. At 8:00am on the morning of Tuesday 12th, some members of the media were provided with electronic access to a copy of the report to facilitate detailed coverage, under very strict embargo. This practice provides that a detailed, sensitive and informed public discourse can take place, and follows practice employed in publication of other reports of such magnitude. The journalists who were given this access abided by that embargo to ensure that no elements of the report came into the public domain prior to survivors joining the Taoiseach and the Minister at a webinar at 1:30pm, and before it was published at 3pm.
It is a matter of deep regret that details of the Commission's Final Report were leaked to a Sunday Newspaper ahead of its publication. It is important to state that this coverage did not originate from the access provided by my Department under embargo on the day of publication as this was done two days later.
I contacted survivors immediately on learning of this coverage and that matter is now under investigation. I understand why many survivors are feeling hurt and let down that any element of the Report was leaked to the media in this manner. This is not what had been planned and it should not have happened. This issue was discussed at Government level and the Secretary General to the Government is leading an investigation into these matters. I await the outcome of this process.
257. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason the sixth interim report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes was withheld until the release of the final report from the commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3183/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Sixth Interim Report was published in full on 12 January. It is available on my Department's website. This is in line with the commitment I gave last year to publish the Sixth Interim Report in tandem with the Final Report.
The Sixth Interim Report, when originally prepared, contained a technical report related to one chapter of the final conclusions of the report. The then Attorney General advised that this constituted evidence to the Commission and had to be returned to the Commission. All copies held by the Department were destroyed. This content of the technical report is now captured in the final report along with the relevant final conclusions of the Commission.
Another issue raised in the Interim Report is the preservation and transfer of the Commission's records. Most significantly, the Report clearly identifies the challenges and opportunities related to the Commission's archive and its database, which I addressed through the Records Act 2020. The Report also included a request for an extension of time and then Government agreed to an extension end June 2020.
258. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to conduct a full survey of the Bessborough estate in County Cork in response to the fifth interim report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, which states that the commission considers that it is likely that some of the 859 unaccounted children are buried in the grounds, but has been unable to find any physical or documentary evidence of this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3184/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes has conducted an extensive five-year long investigation into Mother and Baby institutions, including the burial practices at each of the institutions in its Terms of Reference. In the case of Bessborough, the Commission reported that it was unable to locate the burial place of most of the children, some 859 persons, who died there. This is a deeply tragic state of affairs.
In its Fifth Interim Report, the Commission outlined the extensive measures it took to locate the burials at Bessborough and, while it did conclude that burials are likely to have taken place on the grounds, it also concluded that further investigation of the 200 acre site was not feasible in the absence of further information. I echo the Commission’s plea that anyone in possession of information regarding burials at Bessborough would please come forward.
I note that much of the Bessborough site is now in private ownership. I possess no powers to conduct or order investigations regarding burial sites on privately owned land.
I am aware that two applications for planning permission have been sought in respect of the Bessborough site. I have made submissions to Cork City Council and to An Bord Pleanála, as part of the statutory planning process, outlining my strongly held view that proper account should be taken of the history and sensitivity of the Bessborough site, and that at a minimum further archaeological investigation of the proposed development site should attach as a condition to any potential grant of planning permission. I have also asked that due consideration be given to requests from survivors and their families for appropriate access and respectful memorialisation in due course.
259. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on working with the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to use ministerial directives under the Planning and Development Act 2000 to halt any development on the Bessborough mother and baby home site ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3185/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have separately written to An Bord Pleanála and Cork City Council to encourage them to consider the interim and final reports of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, and the views expressed by former residents of this institution, when deciding on the planning applications for development at the site of the former Bessborough Mother and Baby Home.
I am open to working with any of my Government colleagues in respect of matters relating to mother and baby homes and related institutions. As the Deputy will be aware, I do not have any statutory powers under the Planning and Development Act 2000.
260. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the proposed contents of the redress scheme for survivors of mother and baby homes; the eligibility criteria for same ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3186/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra265. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes suggests, and if he will consider, the inclusion of all women and survivors of all mother and baby homes in the country when awarding redress; if it will be limited to specified mother and baby homes or certain cohorts of women and survivors; if the latter is the case, the way in which redress will be decided upon; if he will provide information on these specified groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3324/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 260 and 265 together.
The Commission has made clear recommendations in relation to redress on the basis of its extensive 5-year investigation. Notably, the Commission identifies three specific groups for whom it recommends redress might be considered.
The Government has made a very significant and early commitment to accept these recommendations and design a bespoke Restorative Recognition Scheme. An Inter-Departmental Group (IDG), to be led by my Department, will now commence the detailed work to scope the terms and conditions for the scheme. My Secretary General will Chair the IDG and nominations have been sought from relevant departments and agencies. The IDG will examine the three specific groups identified by the Commission, but is not restricted to these.
It is intended that the scheme will be designed as quickly as possible in 2021. The IDG is tasked with reporting by the end of April to enable specific proposals to be brought to Government.
This is a hugely important process for all connected to these institutions and I will be working with colleagues and survivors to advance these matters as a priority.
261. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when all former residents of the mother and baby institutions will be given a hard copy of the Final Report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, in full; if his Department has carried out an analysis of the cost of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3210/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA printed copy of the Final Report of the Commission is available to any survivor who wishes to have one.
The Report was made available in digital format in the first instance so as to immediately make it available to the widest possible audience. This is particularly important having regard to the sheer size of the report and the challenges which arise in disseminating hard copies, due to current necessary public health restrictions.
On the 13 January, my Department issued an email to our contact list of survivors and advocates and posted a notice on my Department's website, to outline how survivors and their advocates could secure a copy of the report. My Department can be contacted at 01-6473200 from Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 6pm, or by emailing motherandbabyhomes@equality.gov.ie. There is no charge for any former resident to be provided with a copy of the report.
The Department has an abridged version of the Report, containing the main chapters such as the Executive Summary, Recommendations, and of course, the key chapters containing Survivors’ own stories, for any survivor who requests one. The Department also has printed copies of the full report (six volumes of almost 3,000 pages and weighing 8.5kg) which if preferred, are also be available for any survivor who requests one, again free of charge. The Department has limited stocks of both formats but additional copies will be produced to meet demand.
My officials are procuring the services of third parties to print and deliver hard copies of the report, hence the need for written consent from individuals. Names and addresses will be shared with a third party service provider and this will be done in full compliance with General Data Protection Guidelines.
The costs for printing and distribution have been examined by my Department to ensure we can achieve value for money in meeting the demand for hard copies of the Report.
When the public health situation permits, the Department will also make available printed copies of the full report in specified public facilities. Further details of these arrangements will be publicised in due course.
262. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a comprehensive list of mother and baby homes was compiled; if so, the criteria for inclusion on same; and the location in which the list can be accessed. [3214/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters was established in February 2015 to provide a full account of what happened to vulnerable women and children in these institutions during the period 1922 to 1998. Its terms of reference are attached to the Government Order establishing the Commission (Statutory Instrument No. 57 of 2015). The Commission was tasked with a comprehensive investigation of the practices and procedures regarding the care and welfare of residents in these institutions and the entry arrangements and exit pathways for mothers and their children.
The Commission was established in response to significant concerns around a specific type of institution, namely mother and baby homes. Initially the focus was very narrow and related to concerns with the former home in Tuam, Co. Galway. This focus broadened in the course of the extensive public consultation process which assisted Government in defining the terms of reference. The investigation was framed to provide a clear emphasis on the experiences of women and children who spent time in these institutions. This was a deliberately focused approach.
Clear criteria were used to identify relevant institutions and all institutions identified as meeting these criteria were included in the terms of reference. The criteria used to identify Mother and Baby homes included having the main function of providing sheltered and supervised ante- and post-natal facilities to single mothers and their children, including both board and lodgings; and an ethos which those running the institutions considered to promote a regime of work, training or education as part of an overall approach to either rehabilitating single mothers, or to give them training for living independently.
The complexity in the classification of these institutions, and the challenge of identifying the specific institutions which catered primarily for unmarried mothers and the children since the establishment of the State, was examined in detail by an Inter-Departmental group which advised Government on these matters. Its report was published in July 2014. The advice to the Government was that the specific institutions should be named in the terms of reference to assist the Commission in its task.
Fourteen institutions were named in the terms of reference and the Commission was also tasked with investigating a representative sample of those County Homes which provided mother and baby type services as a considerable focus of their operations. Four County Homes were subsequently selected by the Commission as a representative sample. The Commission's Final Report includes chapters dealing with each of these individual institutions.
263. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the terms of reference of the independent monitoring mechanism tasked with carrying out inspections of direct provision accommodation centres for the legal basis underpinning the establishment of the independent monitoring mechanism; the details of membership of the independent monitoring mechanism; if the monitoring mechanism is operational to date; if so, the number and locations of inspections it has carried out to date; the role of HIQA in the independent monitoring mechanism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3280/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra264. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the implementation of the national standards for direct provision accommodation centres; the measures his Department is taking to ensure compliance of existing direct provision centres with the national standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3281/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 263 and 264 together.
My Department is engaged with HIQA about undertaking the role of monitoring the services provided to those accommodated in our centres against National Standards that were published in 2019. The National Standards meet the requirements of the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive (Directive 2013/33/EU) which we voluntarily opted into in June 2018.
We hope to begin this monitoring by HIQA in the coming months. A strong and transparent monitoring capacity is crucial to ensure that quality of service is maintained during the significant transformation process that will occur over the coming years.
Accommodation centres are currently subject to regular unannounced inspections by both my officials in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) and an independent inspectorate company (QTS Limited).
The implementation of the National Standards, combined with ongoing improvements such as the roll-out of cooking facilities and independent living through the most recent procurement process, demonstrate the continual improvements being made to the accommodation provided to persons seeking international protection in Ireland. All properties selected under the recent tender process were required to be able to implement the National Standards for accommodation centres. This requirement applies to the provision of new centres and to any renewal of a contract with a current provider.
The requirement for inspection of dedicated accommodation centres is also a contractual obligation for the contractors. These inspections are generally undertaken, twice yearly by my officials in IPAS and once yearly by QTS Limited. Inspections cover a wide range of issues including the quality of the food quality, fire safety, appropriate signage and information for residents, the condition of communal areas and sleeping quarters and adherence to hygiene and other health and safety measures. Completed inspections are published on www.ria.gov.ie.
The current inspection programme was severely compromised by the COVID -19 pandemic. All inspections were suspended temporarily during the first phase of COVID-19 restrictions but they recommenced on 14 September 2020 with all necessary safeguards in place. My Department was able to ensure that all centres, with the exception of the new centre in Dominick Street in Galway which was not fully occupied until late 2020, were inspected at least once by IPAS officials with 21 centres being inspected twice by IPAS officials. Furthermore QTS carried out an additional 29 inspections in 2020. This gives a combined total of 94 inspections carried out in 2020.
There are currently 45 designated accommodation centres that come under the inspections programme including the National Reception Centre in Balseskin, Co. Dublin.
The following revised reply was received on 13 May 2021.
The current inspection programme was severely compromised by the COVID -19 pandemic. All inspections were suspended temporarily during the first phase of COVID-19 restrictions but they recommenced on 14 September 2020 with all necessary safeguards in place. My Department was able to ensure that all centres, with the exception of the new centre in Dominick Street in Galway which was not fully occupied until late 2020, were inspected at least once by IPAS officials with 21 centres being inspected twice by IPAS officials. Furthermore QTS carried out an additional 27 inspections in 2020. This gives a combined total of 92 inspections carried out in 2020.
266. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 631 of 17 November 2020, if the formal vulnerability assessment system for asylum seekers promised by the end of 2020 is operational; if so, the number of formal vulnerability assessments carried out to date under the new system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3332/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraA new vulnerability assessment process is currently being piloted by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department. The purpose of these assessments is to determine if, by virtue of a particular category of vulnerability, an applicant is deemed to have special reception needs, what those needs are and what actions are required to address those needs. As part of this pilot, IPAS interview applicants to obtain information that will help establish if any categories of vulnerability apply. This is done in a sensitive, conversational manner with gender-appropriate officers and interpretation as required. A list of standard questions, based on the various categories of vulnerability identified within the EU Reception Conditions Directive 2013/33/EU, and refined for the Irish context with the help of the HSE, is available to the assessor and applicant to help ensure that the interview stays focused on its purpose.
It is intended that the questions used will be kept under review and refined to ensure the process continues to elicit the best possible information to assist in the assessment.
The White Paper process on the reform of the international protection reception and accommodation system is currently underway, and as part of that process further detailed measures are being examined in relation to identifying and supporting those applicants who arrive to Ireland with a vulnerability or intersecting vulnerabilities.
Four assessments under the pilot process have taken place to date with the assistance of the HSE. It is expected that the pilot will be extended to all applicants in coming weeks once the necessary recruitment and training of additional staff resources is completed.
