Mr. Paul Mallen:

I wish to make a point about our work. We deal with individual complaints. We get a certain number of complaints from our visits and a certain number are made to the office. There is a parallel process going on regarding the thematic issues we have identified. As Mr. Tyndall said, the bulk of the work for us at the moment is in the emergency accommodation area. Reference was made a couple of times to medical cards. In addition to dealing with individual complaints from people in emergency centres, we are engaging with the HSE at a national level to resolve the fundamental problem of GP access in communities and numbers of asylum seekers arriving in a community at very short notice without prior planning and provision of services.

Reference was also made to personal public service numbers, PPSNs. Without a PPSN, one cannot access a medical card or basic payments or all the so-called material reception conditions that we are obliged to provide. Our office has engaged nationally with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to resolve the issue of the availability of PPSNs. Prior to the increase in numbers, they were processed in Balseskin, as Mr. Tyndall mentioned earlier. Many of the local offices were not familiar with the process. I understand there is a lower threshold for eligibility for asylum seekers. As a result of our engagement with the Department on the matter, I understand a briefing document was issued to the local offices so they are aware of what to do if somebody presents. That has helped.

We have been to one area twice within the space of three months. We were very busy on our first visit. The big issues were medical cards and PPSNs. When we went back to the area three months later, those issues had mainly been resolved. I know that is only one issue but as Mr. Garvey indicated, the process is evolving as we move on and as we identify thematic issues. As well as addressing individual complaints, we address issues at a national level as well.