Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

It is important to say that all residents of direct provision centres are entitled to use the primary healthcare system and attend their local GPs. My Department makes provision for that. I do not wish to stray into the specific circumstances of the treatment of one individual - that would not be appropriate - but my Department and my office have been in contact, through IPAS, with the management of the centre in question to ensure that this gentleman gets the appropriate level of medical assistance. Every person in direct provision should get the appropriate level of medical assistance.

I am concerned about the statement that there were four people living in the room. My understanding is that only 7.5% of residents of direct provision accommodation now live in a room with more than two other unrelated people. I will double-check that point because what the Deputy says is not the information I have received. Those measures to reduce the number of people unrelated living together were brought in specifically as a result of Covid. That involved getting extra centres around the country, and that was the right thing to do during Covid because we wanted to thin the numbers in the existing direct provision centres as we know congregation is a definite Covid risk. My Department has received a substantial additional allocation for 2021 to support direct provision. One of the things we will do is to support these "friends of the centre" networks that have built up around the country. The Deputy referred to some of the local voluntary activity taking place in Monaghan. These centres are established in direct provision centres around the country, and I really want to support them because that gets the voluntary sector and the NGOs in to provide those additional supports. I have mentioned the Jesuit Refugee Service, which does huge work around the country in providing additional supports, particularly to those who are perhaps our most vulnerable.

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