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Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (31 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: 159. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update in relation to expediating the emergency department at Mayo University Hospital. [26752/23]

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: I welcome our guests. We have spoken about the capacity challenges within the international protection accommodation services. What are the numbers for individuals currently in the accommodation settings and due for release versus the numbers currently waiting to be approved for asylum? Are those figures available?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: Yes. I thank Mr. Delaney for the clarification on the previous question around resources and the reduction in processing times. It is a crucially important step. We cannot sufficiently emphasise its importance for those who want to work or integrate in their local community. That they have to wait an additional six months to do so is a challenge and then there is also the uncertainty...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: Can we have an indication of where the upper scale of being really challenging might be for those seeking asylum weekly? We understand that more than 88 people seek asylum weekly. Is there a figure of where the Department sees IPAS having difficulty and being seriously challenged?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: What is the current status of the second transit hub?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: The CityWest transit hub at present is closed to additional arrivals. The understanding was a second transit hub was being explored. That emerged during an engagement with the Secretary General in the Committee of Public Accounts. That was a number of months ago. Where is that hub? Is it part of the Department’s plans at present?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: What is the capacity of the Airways centre, in terms of dealing with overflow of arrivals to our country in coming months?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: What is the current capacity of CityWest?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: Was it previously a higher figure? Was it not in the region of 2,000?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: In relation to tented accommodation, how many sites is the Department overseeing?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: Many communities are concerned about support services. Colleagues in the committee have previously touched on it. How does the Department collaborate with relevant stakeholders to facilitate successful integration into agencies or the local community? Has a proper process or pathway been established for IPs and Ukrainians to access services?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: I apologise for interrupting, but how much funding has been allocated to local authorities to provide additional resources for integration?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: My county has had more than 4,000 additional arrivals. Does that mean there will be one resource unit for every 1,000, or will it be done on a per capitabasis? How is it broken down among the counties?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: Will these trained personnel come from the existing local authority system or will they be new? Perhaps this question would be better directed at Mr. Walsh in the context of the engagement his organisation has had to date regarding the additional headcount.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: Will it be done through the Public Appointments Service or internally?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: Who currently looks after the integration aspect within the local authorities?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: At this stage, however, most of the pledged accommodation has been reviewed.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: Does the Department accept there has been a lack of policy on the integration aspect? From what I am hearing, it is leaving to the local development companies, in the context of their duties to work with these new arrivals, those who are seeking medical or psychological assistance or looking to secure additional employment, perhaps through job activation programmes. They seem to be getting...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: I do not disagree on the value of these workers on the ground, but they are greatly overburdened with the level of need within each of these emergency centres. I have engaged with a lot of these workers. Some of them have been funded through the HSE, but an immensely greater need is required. These workers have also worked on various other projects in Mayo, such as in Ballaghaderreen with...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Integration and Refugee Issues: Discussion (Resumed) (30 May 2023)

Alan Dillon: In regard to accommodation capacity and long-term planning, more than 60,000 beds have been taken out of the tourism and hospitality sector as a result of this humanitarian crisis. In the context of long-term planning strategies to ensure sustainable accommodation pathways, has the Department established a long-term plan for both Ukrainians and international protection applicants?