Results 1-17 of 17 for "direct provision" speaker:Duncan Smith

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2024)

Duncan Smith: 436. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the short and medium-term plans for Mosney direct provision centre; if there are any plans to transfer residents to other locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8914/24]

Accommodation Needs for New Arrivals: Statements (23 May 2023)

Duncan Smith: ...It is unsuitable but it is better than being on the streets. That is the emergency we are operating in at present but we have to acknowledge that what we are witnessing is a dramatic expansion of the direct provision system, a system that has failed for many years. The bringing on stream of suitable accommodation for anyone in Ireland who needs accommodation is something we have spoken...

Housing and Evictions: Motion [Private Members] (21 Feb 2023)

Duncan Smith: ...weeks as we pick up more information on the ground. I put to the Minister our concern that we are seeing not the extension of accommodation for international protection applicants but, rather, the extension of direct provision and actors in that space in whom we are not confident to deliver what we need for these people.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Refugee Resettlement Programme (14 Jul 2022)

Duncan Smith: ...there are residents there who are beneficiaries of the EU temporary protection directive, TPD, category of refugees, mainly Ukrainian people, and there are also people there under protection in the direct provision system from IPAS. The issue is not the mix or, indeed, the two systems. The issue is that one category, those under the TPD, is being processed in 24 hours on average, while...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: International Protection (22 Sep 2021)

Duncan Smith: 136. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of persons that were deemed adults by the International Protection Office and placed into direct provision following the assessments; and the number that were deemed minors and placed in the care of Tusla. [45467/21]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Unaccompanied Minors and Separated Children (27 Jul 2021)

Duncan Smith: ...Protection Act 2015; the number of those that were age-disputed and subjected to an assessment by Tusla; the number that were deemed adults by the International Protection Office and placed into direct provision following the assessments; and the number that were deemed minors and placed in the care of Tusla. [39385/21]

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response Final Report: Motion (19 Nov 2020)

Duncan Smith: ...of us, however experienced Deputies may be, have experienced a committee that operated under such tight time constraints. I will pick up on the story that Deputy O'Reilly told about Balseskin direct provision centre. It is partly under the Minister for Health's remit and partly under that of the Minister for Justice. That matter was brought to my attention today. I rang the centre...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: Testing in meat plants, schools and direct provision centres has been referenced and I thank the witnesses for their answers. Have there been further discussions with the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, on testing at our airports?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: ...into next year and that it is in a totally different realm. I am wondering if the Minister and the HSE are even talking to each other. In the Minister's opening statement, there is no mention of direct provision, meat plants or travel restrictions and how travel will work. There is no mention of a roadmap either. The Minister mentions Kildare, Laois and Offaly, which is quite...

Covid-19 (Justice and Equality): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Duncan Smith: .... It is a global movement and one we should all support, not only with words and rhetoric in the House but with actions and practical solutions. I was disheartened by the response of the Taoiseach today when discussing the direct provision system. The system is probably our most visible example of systemic racial discrimination. It is inhumane and outdated. As Minister of State with...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Direct Provision Centres (26 May 2020)

Duncan Smith: I direct my first question to Ms Buckley. The direct provision system is what I consider to be an inhumane and difficult system in which people must survive. Ms Buckley mentioned that she will be back in terms of some regular business and try to process applications for citizenship. If we are on a downward trend for Covid-19, and hopefully we are, there are fears of a second wave and a flu...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Direct Provision Centres (26 May 2020)

Duncan Smith: ...are the criteria as regards further tests? Is it just people who have developed symptoms or who have asked to be tested because of that, or is there a protocol for further systematic testing in direct provision centres? Are there concerns that people in the direct provision system are afraid to speak up and say they have symptoms for fear that they may be moved away from their support...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Direct Provision Centres (26 May 2020)

Duncan Smith: In a word, there is no recurrent, consistent testing of people in direct provision.

Outbreaks of Covid-19 in Meat Processing Plants: Statements (21 May 2020)

Duncan Smith: ...workers are tied to their employers for their permits and right to work. They fear that if they do not go back to work, they will have no work to go back to. There are similarities to the situation in direct provision, where there are concerns that people in direct provision are afraid to state that they have symptoms because they do not wish to be moved to another part of the country,...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Briefing by HSE Officials (19 May 2020)

Duncan Smith: ...crisis, it is hoped later on this year? Are Mr. Reid and his colleagues in the HSE concerned about the potential for under-reporting of symptoms or safe public health practices from residents in direct provision? It is well known that many asylum seekers fear speaking out because they are in such a vulnerable position and due to the potential ramifications of whistleblowing.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements (30 Apr 2020)

Duncan Smith: ...We have already seen the somewhat stark protests, let us say, of dentists in France and I do not want to have to see my dentist taking part in similar protests here for basic PPE. I turn to ask about direct provision and vulnerable settings. We have heard about the direct provision centre in Cahersiveen through the media and I would appreciate it if the Minister could speak to that....

An Bille um Bearta Éigeandála ar mhaithe le Leas an Phobail (Covid-19), 2020: An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (Resumed) (26 Mar 2020)

Duncan Smith: ...to do that. I know much of that work is being done but we need to drastically improve that. The Government must move to safely house the most vulnerable in our society. There are people living in direct provision, asylum seekers, members of the Travelling community, who are as much at risk as the rest of us, if not more so, from Covid-19 and we must not forget them during this very...