Mr. Brian Collins:

I thank the committee for inviting us to address these critical issues. Nasc is an NGO and a charity that works with people seeking protection, refugees, migrants and their families, to realise and fulfil their rights. Nasc runs a free advocacy service that supports more than 1,300 people annually and we deliver outreach to the direct provision, DP, centres throughout the county of Cork. Nasc operates a dedicated Ukrainian language phone line service. Nasc was also a member of the working group on direct provision and the protection process, a member of the advisory group established to develop national standards for direct provision and the Catherine Day advisory group.

We welcome that the committee is examining these issues now. Figures from the Central Statistics Office, CSO, indicate that, as of 19 February 2023, there have been 73,000 arrivals from Ukraine to Ireland with an estimated 63,585 people still living in our communities. In addition, over 13,000 applicants for international protection came to our shores seeking safe haven in 2022. It is not news to anyone in this room that accommodation is now the most critical issue. While it is clear that the relevant Government agencies have been working tirelessly to source accommodation, these efforts have unfortunately fallen short, and we find ourselves in a situation where some applicants for international protection are being left to sleep in the street. This is unprecedented; it is a breach of the law and of our moral obligation to people who may have experienced torture and trauma before making their way to Ireland for safety. This accommodation crisis is an opportunity to plan for a better system and we must take this opportunity. We note that over 5,000 residents of DP have legal permission to be in Ireland and additional resources need to be put in place to support people moving from DP once they have their status.

Unfortunately, we have seen that far-right elements are becoming more prominent as they seek to exploit genuine concerns which communities may have in respect of services, including those relating to schools, GPs, etc. Communities need to be engaged and resourced to deal with refugees arriving in their areas, where appropriate. We believe the Government needs to be careful in the language used when speaking about these issues and should demonstrate leadership and compassion towards those who arrive to Ireland seeking protection. Refugees have been living in direct provision centres all over Ireland for over 20 years, so this is not a new phenomenon. Refugees enrich our communities. It is important that we push back against those who deliberately seek to misrepresent refugees and sow fear and division.

In the background, we have seen that the commitment to end direct provision has slipped from the political agenda. Nasc recently published a report authored by Dr. Liam Thornton and Dr. Abayomi Ogunsanya entitled Ending Direct Provision? February 2021-September 2022: A Review of the Implementation of the White Paper on Ending Direct Provision, which evidences the lack of progress in implementation. As of 5 February last, there were 19,741 people accommodated in the international protection accommodation service, IPAS, system as a whole. Of this total, 4,096 were children. We have heard direct testimonies from residents of direct provision, time and again, that make it clear that our for-profit, institutional model of reception fails to respect their human dignity. We submit that as we see an increase in the numbers of people come to Ireland seeking protection, this is the time to redouble efforts to ensure that a further cohort of children does not end up growing up in this system. We recommend that resources are urgently put in place to deliver on the White Paper on ending direct provision and we seek an updated timeline for implementation of the recommendations in the White Paper.

In the meantime, there are some simple things that can be done to improve the standard of living in direct provision. Extending child benefit to children living in the system and ensuring that, where possible, cooking facilities are available, would be helpful. We recommend that HIQA is mandated to inspect emergency accommodation for international protection applicants, as well as direct provision centres, to ensure that their oversight is meaningful and effective. In terms of the international protection determination procedure, we are concerned that some recent changes at the International Protection Office, IPO, the first-instance decision-making body, may mean that persons from deemed-safe countries may find it difficult, if not impossible, to access legal support prior to the substantive interviews relating to their claims. We recommend that the practical impact of these regulations be carefully monitored.

Turning to those fleeing Ukraine, while the overall response of the Government and the Irish community is to be commended, Nasc is concerned by the varying standards of accommodation available to beneficiaries of temporary protection. There appears to be a lack of oversight and accountability when problems emerge and there is a real need for standards and a clear complaints mechanism in this area. We also recommend that HIQA is mandated to carry out inspections of accommodation for beneficiaries of temporary protection. The issue of availability of accommodation is ongoing and will require careful planning to ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of those who arrive.

In summary, while this is undoubtedly a very challenging time for the relevant agencies, it is critical that we meet our legal and moral obligations to those who arrive to our shores seeking safety. It is also an opportunity to plan for and implement a better reception system in line with the White Paper on ending direct provision.

I thank members and we would be happy to answer any questions on the opening statement and the submission.