Direct Provision System

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 February 2021

Wednesday, 10 February 2021

Ceisteanna (552)

Catherine Connolly

Ceist:

552. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 263 of 21 January 2021, if legislative changes are required for the establishment and operation of the independent monitoring mechanism tasked with carrying out inspections of direct provision centres; if so, the details of same; when the monitoring mechanism will commence its work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6932/21]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

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.

My Department is engaged in consultations with the Department of Health and HIQA aimed at establishing an independent monitoring mechanism for standards in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres. It has not yet been determined whether legislative change will be required to put this in place.