Ms Sue Conlan:

I will deal briefly with the latter question about suggestions to the RIA about the Office of the Ombudsman and the convenience changes. The convenience changes relates to when residents note that there are improvements to a centre which alerts them to the fact that either an inspection is due or there is someone coming in from outside, such as a politician or Minister. It is merely a change that is made for convenience to facilitate a good inspection report. That is what is meant by that.

We individually, and others, have raised the issue of the lack of independence to the complaints system with the RIA but the response on each occasion is that it is robust enough. They will lay out the system that exists. We describe it as a tiered system of complaints where one makes a complaint to the manager and if that is not satisfied, one can go to the RIA. As Mr. Ng'ang'a stated clearly, residents' experience is that it matters little whether one makes that complaint. As a resident, one is reminded that the manager has contact with the RIA. I have seen letters from the RIA that suggest that if one does not comply, "don't forget it is part of the Department of Justice and Equality". I am paraphrasing - that is not literally the wording of it. They have adamantly maintained that, like the direct provision system itself, the complaints system is adequate and one does not need anything else, and also that they have not had alternatives put before them, which is not the truth.