Results 3,641-3,660 of 14,127 for speaker:David Stanton

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I can inform the Deputy that sadly three deaths have been notified to the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department since the introduction of its Critical Incident Policy on 29 November 2019. The policy provides that once notified of a death, IPAS will record the incident. The Critical Incident Policy also sets out the guidelines for centre managers...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: As the Deputy will appreciate, the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health crisis, the response to which is being led by HSE Public Health, as is appropriate. My Department and management across our network of accommodation centres (both permanent and temporary) are working closely with the HSE to implement their public health advice. With regard to medical information such as testing, test...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I want to assure the Deputy that my Department is doing everything it can to protect the health and welfare of residents and staff in our accommodation centres, as well as that of the wider community. My Department is working closely with the HSE in doing so, and while the HSE advice has evolved over time, we have been assured by both it and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer that our...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I am pleased to have this opportunity to provide the Deputy with an update on the full range of measures that we, the HSE and centre management are taking to support residents and staff in Direct Provision accommodation at this time.  We are doing everything that we can to protect the health and welfare of our residents and centre staff as well as that of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 452 to 470, inclusive, together. I want to assure the Deputy that I, Minister Flanagan and our officials take the safety and wellbeing of all international protection applicants and the community in which they reside extremely seriously. That has always been our priority. I do appreciate that the circumstances in which the Skellig Accommodation Centre was...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I can inform the Deputy that the issue of providing liaison support for residents in the accommodation location referred to by the Deputy is a matter for the Department of Health. They have advised that the issue will be raised with the HSE and that they will revert to the Deputy in due course.  However, it is important to note that services for international...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I am pleased to have this opportunity to provide the Deputy with an update on the full range of measures that we, the HSE and centre management are taking to support residents and staff in Direct Provision accommodation  at this time.  We are doing everything that we can to protect the health and welfare of our residents and centre staff as well as that of the wider...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I am pleased to have this opportunity to provide you with an update on the full range of measures that we, the HSE and centre management are taking to support residents and staff in Direct Provision accommodation  at this time.  We are doing everything that we can to protect the health and welfare of our residents and centre staff as well as that of the wider community. We are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 499 and 500 together. I want to assure the Deputy that my Department is doing everything it can to protect the health and welfare of residents and staff in our accommodation centres, as well as that of the wider community. My Department is working closely with the HSE in doing so, and while the HSE advice has evolved over time, we have been assured by both it...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I can inform the Deputy that all accommodation centres under contract to my Department are subject to three unannounced inspections per annum: twice by officials from the Immigration Service of the Department and once by an independent company (QTS Limited).  As a result of the health and safety restrictions around COVID-19, it is not appropriate for inspections to be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I want to assure the Deputy that my Department is doing everything it can to protect the health and welfare of residents and staff in our accommodation centres, as well as that of the wider community. My Department is working closely with the HSE in doing so, and while the HSE advice has evolved over time, we have been assured by both it and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer that our...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: National LGBTI+ Strategy (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: On 9 October 2019, I announced that additional funding for LGBTI+ initiatives of €0.7m over the 2019 provision had been made available in Budget 2020 to support implementation of the LGBTI+ Strategy in 2020. A Committee is being appointed to oversee the implementation of the Strategy and details of its membership will soon be announced. In line with the commitments in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 May 2020)

David Stanton: I can inform the Deputy that the Office of Public Works (OPW) is responsible for all maintenance and improvement works in the seven State-owned accommodation centres for persons seeking International Protection. Independent living has been introduced in one of these centres, in Athlone, which has a capacity of 300 persons. My Department has been in discussions with the...

Covid-19 (Justice and Equality): Statements (13 May 2020)

David Stanton: I inquired today about the health of people in direct provision centres who have contracted this virus, as have many citizens of Ireland, and I am told that none of them is very seriously ill. I wanted to report that good news. Some people have symptoms only and others have no symptoms. Anybody who has been tested has been moved to an isolating facility. The HSE has confirmed to us...

Covid-19 (Justice and Equality): Statements (13 May 2020)

David Stanton: There have been calls for many years to close direct provision but many improvements have been made. What happens now is that when people arrive in the country and look for international protection, as a State we are obliged to offer them accommodation, heat, food, a bed, education and so on. That is what people get. Many people move through each centre. There are over 1,000 people now in...

Covid-19 (Justice and Equality): Statements (13 May 2020)

David Stanton: The issue of direct provision has taken up a significant amount of my time, that of the Minister and that of the Department in recent years. Many improvements have been made. A significant number of people are now in own-door or self-catering accommodation. We have been moving in that direction but it is very difficult, as colleagues are aware. There are 69 residents, including nine...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Adoptive Leave (13 May 2020)

David Stanton: On 22 October 2019, the Government approved the priority drafting of provisions on adoptive leave with a view to their inclusion in the earliest appropriate bill. These provisions will give all adopting couples, whether same sex or opposite sex, the right to select which of them will be the qualified adopter, i.e. which of them will get adoptive leave and benefit. Drafting of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (13 May 2020)

David Stanton: As the Deputy will be aware, Minister Flanagan and I launched Ireland’s National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019 – 2021 on 28 November last. The Strategy contains over 100 actions that are aimed at promoting inclusion, protecting rights and improving the quality of life and wellbeing of LGBTI+ people. It reflects the commitment in the Programme for Government to create an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Data (13 May 2020)

David Stanton: I established the Community Sponsorship Programme on 15 November 2019 following a successful pilot programme, which commenced in December 2018. Under the pilot phase, five communities (Dunshaughlin, Midleton, Carrigtwohill, Kells and Lismore) welcomed refugee families to their areas. The five refugee families comprised of 17 people in total and both the refugees and local communities have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Resettlement Programme (13 May 2020)

David Stanton: I can inform the Deputy that the person concerned attended an IRPP (Irish Refugee Protection Programme) clinic in January 2020 and conveyed their concerns. They were informed that their extended family had been resettled several years earlier, prior to the arrival of the applicant's family in the State in December 2019. They were further informed that the Westmeath Refugee Resettlement...