Results 21-40 of 242 for "direct provision" speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (25 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: ...challenges, have now had their cases processed to completion. This has been a key achievement that has had a real impact on many people and families in the protection process, including those in Direct Provision.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (25 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The details supplied by the Deputy refer to conditions in the Direct Provision system and to the Report of the Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers. Since its publication in June, 2015, the Report of the Working Group has been under proactive consideration; in the first instance by the Cabinet Committee on Social...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since its publication in June, 2015 the Report of the Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers, has been under proactive consideration; in the first instance by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform and thereafter on an ongoing basis in my Department and other relevant Government Departments...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ombudsman for Children Remit (19 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The revised House Rules published by the Reception and Integration Agency in May of last year set out the procedures in relation to the investigation of complaints made by Direct Provision residents and include a provision for an independent appeals officer. I am committed to extending the remits of both the Ombudsman and the Ombudsman for Children to residents in Direct Provision. There are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: ...of the report, which related to people who were here for over five years. The Senator is right when she says that assessments have now been made in the vast majority of cases of people who were in direct provision for over five years. It would be difficult to find anyone currently in direct provision who has been there for more than five years. I want to put that on the record. That is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: ...assessment are obviously a separate matter. However, the implementation of that recommendation has been progressed. We hear about people who have been here for more than five years who are not in direct provision, but they have to make contact. They have to make themselves available. It can be difficult to find some of these people. They are not necessarily in contact and have left...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: That is a key consideration, as one would expect, but there is a full assessment and all of the factors involved are considered. One would be hard pushed to find someone in direct provision who has been there more than five years where there is not some outstanding legal or, perhaps, security reason. More likely it will be a legal reason. If, however, the Senator knows of someone in that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: ...where what applies will be the provisions of that Act. That will happen towards the end of this year. As the Minister for Justice and Equality, I am happy to see the Ombudsman for Children go into direct provision centres and have communicated that position to him. I consider it the right thing to do in terms of the protection of children and am working on making it a reality. There is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: ...account as much as possible. Deputy Farrell asked about third level education. If a person has leave to remain, he or she is eligible for third level. A programme is in place for children in direct provision going to third level. The former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, made a decision last year in respect of children who had been in direct provision and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Support Services (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: ...Question No. 114 of 27 September 2016 which details the progress to date on the implementation of the recommendations of the McMahon report on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers. The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to reform the Direct Provision system, with particular focus on families and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (27 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since its publication in June, 2015 the Report of the Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers, has been under proactive consideration; in the first instance by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform and thereafter on an ongoing basis in my Department and other relevant Government Departments...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Support Services (27 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since its publication in June, 2015 the Report of the Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers, has been under proactive consideration; in the first instance by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform and thereafter on an ongoing basis in my Department and other relevant Government Departments...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Support Services (27 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: ...see an increase on the previous year for the first time in recent times. The fluctuation in costs is mainly related to the numbers of persons in the system at any given time, particularly in relation to the numbers in the direct provision system. In that regard, there was a 126% increase in asylum applications in 2015 compared to 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (16 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There were 1,093 persons residing in direct provision for three years or more at the end of August 2016. In order to interpret these figures correctly, it is important to note that they include a number of persons who had been granted status to remain in the State and are preparing to move into communities. In August there were approximately 550 persons with such status residing in direct...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (16 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: According to the Department's database for managing such data, there were 4,248 persons residing in direct provision at the end of August 2016. The table outlines the duration of stay of these persons based on their latest date of entry into the direct provision system. (When a person makes an application for international protection, they are offered accommodation. While there is no...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (6 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: ...in accommodation provided by the Reception & Integration Agency (RIA). The latest published detailed monthly statistics are for 31 May 2016 which show that there were 4,499 persons residing in Direct Provision accommodation of which 1,177 were under the age of 18. While centre by centre details on age and gender are not compiled for the monthly reports, the overall total of...

Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are also initiatives on better standards of accommodation and cooking facilities for families. Those are moving ahead in quite a number of the direct provision centres.

Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: ...Education and Skills, the former Minister, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, made the decision about children moving on to third level. It is a small number, but that decision was taken to ensure that children in direct provision could access third level places as well. There were also the other changes which I have spoken about. As I said at the beginning, we want to provide as high a level of...

Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: ...refugees arriving in the first place should be in a centre where they get support services, which we have in place. Every effort is being made to improve the standard of accommodation in our direct provision system. I assume Deputy Bríd Smith has visited some of those centres. I have been to various centres. As for the recommendations in the McMahon report on providing better...

Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Every effort is made on a continuous basis to provide a high level of service to persons in the direct provision system. The direct provision system comprises not just full board accommodation but a range of services including health, education and welfare supports. The principal issue identified in the McMahon report was the length of time people live in the system. Many of the applicants...