Éamon Ó Cuív Seeks Update on Direct Provision Accommodation

Minister, basically what I am looking for is an update in relation to accommodation for people in direct provision, there were significant commitments made, I know that some actions have been taken, but you might give me an update in relation to, for example, owned or accommodation, and also, are we progressing, moving people through the system faster, I know that is not your direct responsibility, but obviously you must be talking to the Minister of Justice and saying, look, can we not speed up this whole process and have less people in direct accommodation and direct provision and more people, you know, without the cases decided. Thanks, thanks very much Deputy, so as of the 30th of January this month, I can confirm that there are 8,582 people accommodated in the direct provision system as a whole, and this includes 5,828 persons in IPAS accommodation centres, 1,065 persons in emergency accommodation centres, 396 persons in the National Reception Centre in Balseskin, 223 persons in quarantine facilities, and 970 persons in pre-reception facilities. Within direct provision centres and the National Reception Centre, 74% of residents have access to independent living facilities, residents can cook and shop for themselves, families have access to private living space, and families have access to social spaces, and 31% have access to owned or unit settings. This means that residents live in a self-contained unit, such as an apartment, which is a private kitchen and living space. My department has recently published a request for tender, seeking accommodation for the transitional period up to 2024, and the accommodation being sought includes owned or accommodation for families in the international protection process. The White Paper to End direct provision has established a blueprint for a new system of supporting and accommodating people seeking international protection in Ireland, centred on a not-for-profit approach, and grounded in the principles of human rights, respect for diversity, and respect for privacy and family life, and this system will fully come into operation by the end of December 24. We've set up a White Paper transition team within my department. It drives implementation of the new model. We have a program board that brings in expertise from other government departments and from the private sector as well, and we also have an external advisory committee made up of Catherine Day, Lorcan Sir and David Donoghue, and I'm actually going to be meeting them today after these questions. So we've been working very closely with a number of other government departments and agencies, particularly the housing agency in terms of the provision of new accommodation, and planning is well advanced in the following areas, purchasing of property, developing a system of income support for international protection applicants, integration support, and the planning and design for capital projects is commencing this year. Minister, would I be right in the first place in thinking that there's been actually quite a rapid increase again in the number of people in direct provision, and therefore the number of people seeking asylum or in this country. The second thing, can you give me any indication of how many people are in the system for more than four years? Because one of the problems seems to be that you're getting left with a problem that actually should be largely resolved by people being processed quickly through the system, and a definitive decision being made for them. So you might give me an indication. And the third question is, can you indicate what the alternative model is, and how are you going to get it up within two years? Because things, well, it would be a fair achievement to do it in two years now, to be honest. But my experience of how slowly things move. There's a lot to get to in a minute there, Deputy. You're correct, there has been a significant increase in the number of people coming to Ireland seeking international protection, particularly since October, November of last year. The numbers have increased significantly, and I think they're reflected in the figures that I set out there. In terms of more than four years, I'll ask my department to come back with a specific figure to you. But as you know, Minister McEntee has announced a scheme for regularisation, and that scheme is open to people who've been in the international protection process for a number of years. And we reckon that about 2,800 of them will be able to apply under Minister McEntee's scheme. Would these be indirect provision? Yes. Minister McEntee's scheme is primarily for people who are undocumented, but there is a secondary stream of that for people who've been in direct provision for a long period of time, and they will be able to apply for regularisation. And I'd be hopeful that that will go a significant way, though obviously 2,800 out of 8,500 is about a quarter, but it will address the needs of a significant number of people who, as you identified, have been in the process in the system for a very long time. Minister, thank you for the information. You also have a community scheme for refugees, where communities host refugees from around the country, and I think that's a really progressive way of going forward. Can I ask you, are you getting much take-up in that scheme from communities? And are many communities coming forward with offers to take refugees? Because I think if we could do that, that would not only provide accommodation, but it would provide the community, and the loving community, that's opening and welcoming. Thanks, Deputy. And thanks for highlighting the importance of the community sponsorship scheme. I suppose just to clarify, that's available to people who are already identified as refugees under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, not people coming in through direct provision. But it is a really important scheme, and it's been particularly important over the last seven months in terms of Ireland's very rapid response to the situation in Afghanistan. We've now issued 550 visas to people fleeing Afghanistan, people who are at real risk of life in the current context. Many of these are in Iraq's emergency reception and orientation centres across the country at the moment, but they then move to the community, and a lot of them are being supported by these community sponsorship groups. So again, I suppose, Deputy, and if any Deputies know groups who are interested in doing something like that, it's commitment, undoubtedly, but it's such a valuable commitment, both in terms of provision of the accommodation, but as you said, Deputy, that support, that link in with the local community. And I've met a number of Afghan refugees who are now integrating into our society and are incredibly grateful for the opportunity that they've been given. Thanks, Deputy.