Dáil debates
Thursday, 7 October 2021
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Direct Provision System
11:50 am
Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source
I thank the Minister for his comprehensive response. There are 6,500 people living in accommodation provided through the International Protection Accommodation Services, IPAS, 1,692 of whom are children. What access do they have to the various reforms? Will their input be sought by the expert panel the Minister mentioned? Will their daily experiences be heard? Do they have a complaints mechanism at the moment? As we begin the transition away from this service, how do we ensure their lives are not impacted by it and the fact that the model will change?
I refer to the integration policy element. What steps is the Minister taking to ensure it is community-led and that all communities are involved in it, rather than having a model imposed on communities which goes against what we want to achieve and provokes the opposite reaction to what we want to achieve? We have all had experience of things that have been handled in the wrong way. Is the timeline still on target? Can we commit that by October 2024 we will have moved on from this system?
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