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Direct Provision System

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2021

Tuesday, 6 July 2021

Ceisteanna (65, 377, 378, 388, 389, 408)

Bríd Smith

Ceist:

65. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has read the recent report on deaths in direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36225/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

377. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the reporting system in place since 2017 to record the deaths in direct provision settings; his further views on whether the omission of the cause of death on the records is cause for concern; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36512/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

378. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will adopt the United Nations recommendation that transparency must be ensured with reference to the current fatality rate in direct provision centres and the concerns over the recording of these deaths; and if he will consider releasing the details again as per the previous recording system. [36513/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Gino Kenny

Ceist:

388. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he plans to change the way in which data on deaths in direct provision are collected by State agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36250/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Violet-Anne Wynne

Ceist:

389. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the lack of transparency around the number of persons who have died in direct provision; and if he will consider the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racism recommendation that the recording system is amended as at present the cause of death is not recorded and official records since the inception of the system in 1999 are incomplete. [36257/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Brian Stanley

Ceist:

408. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to implement a system to record the number of deaths in all direct provision centres in keeping with the request by the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. [36557/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 65, 377, 378, 388, 389 and 408 together.

I am aware of a report in the Irish Examiner on 29 June 2021 which provides the details of four persons alleged to have been accommodated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department.

Firstly, it is important to point out that it is an offence under Section 26 of the International Protection Act, 2015 to publish any information that may be lead to the identification of a person as a protection applicant without their consent. This provision does not exclude former applicants including applicants who pass away while their application is under consideration. This is particularly important to note given that a deceased applicant’s family could potentially be in danger in their home country were such information to be published.

Accordingly I am unable to comment on any individual cases named in the report other than to note that such commentary on individual deaths may be in breach of the provisions of the International Protection Act 2015.

In the event of the death of a resident at an IPAS accommodation centre, a critical incident policy is in place, to provide guidelines for staff in the IPAS and accommodation centre managers and staff. IPAS officials work closely with the centre manager to assist the person’s next of kin, if known, in accessing the supports provided by the State, and to offer supports, including counselling, to any residents or centre staff affected by the death. Where children are involved, the family is linked with Tusla to provide relevant supports. Assistance with funeral costs is also available through the Department for Social Protection subject to a means test.

Under the Critical Incident Policy, any death or very serious incident that occurs within IPAS accommodation centres provided by the Department is referred to the Gardaí as a matter of course and, where appropriate, the Gardaí will in turn refer those deaths to the local Coroner’s office. Where cause of death has not already been certified by a qualified medical practitioner, investigations and inquests into the cause of a death are matters for those authorities.? Responsibility for the formal registration and recording of all deaths in the State, including information on cause of death where known, rests with the General Register Office in the Department of Social Protection.

I can also advise that my Department has developed a new policy on the collation and provision of statistics on our accommodation centres. The policy, which came into effect on 1 June 2021, will be published on a new IPAS website due to launch in coming days. The policy covers procedures to be followed with regard to notification of a death to IPAS and other relevant authorities, collation of statistics, and publication of information. Alongside the policy, the Department will also be publishing statistical information on resident deaths going back to the earliest recorded death of a resident. These statistics, which will include a breakdown by cause of death where known, has been collated with the assistance of the General Register Office.

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