Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 October 2022
147. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he will respond to correspondence from this Deputy’s office dated to August 2022; and the reason that he has not responded to date (details supplied). [52202/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra149. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the conditions of a building with broken windows and caged windows to the rear of a building (details supplied) which is operating as a direct provision centre; if asylum seekers are currently living in the building; if they were ever living in the building; if so, the date upon which they vacated the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52204/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 149 together.
I would like to assure you that the health and wellbeing of all people who avail of accommodation provided by this Department is of the highest priority.
There are currently 181 residents in the referred to accommodation centre.
As you are may be aware, the service provider (contractor) is responsible for the maintenance of an IPAS accommodation centre.
The contractor is responsible for ensuring all checks of accommodation units at the centre, equipment (including safety equipment), fixtures and fittings (including paintwork, floor, furniture, glazing), appliances and grounds (where applicable) are kept in good condition, properly maintained and remain fit for use throughout.
The contractor must carry out regular checks in order to ascertain and rectify promptly any maintenance or health and safety issues. All maintenance issues must be promptly addressed and logged in a maintenance log book which must be available for inspection at the request of the Minister.
A clear mechanism is in place for residents to report and follow up on any maintenance and/or repair issues and for those issues to be addressed in a timely way.
My Department received the referred to correspondence and the matter was fully investigated. The centre manager reported at that time that there was no broken window and that in addition to this, it was assured that any items which break are immediately fixed. It was also confirmed that there are no cages on windows. Due to an administrative oversight, the reply did not issue.
The accommodation centre had been inspected in March 2022 by an independent inspection company. A further inspection is due to be carried out later this week.
