Results 41-60 of 65 for "direct provision" speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (15 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...and published thereafter. The intention is to publish a White Paper by the end of this year, informed by the recommendations of the Expert Group, which will set out how a replacement to the Direct Provision system will be structured and the steps to achieving it. It will be a matter for the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration to progress the matter and to...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...Agriculture, Food and the Marine is working not just with meat plants but also with food production plants across the country to ensure their premises are safe and the work can be carried out in a safe environment. On direct provision, from the very outset a vast array of measures were put in place, everything from cocooning for those over 65 to testing and the ability for people to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...Service, SPIRASI, and UNHCR Ireland. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) also provided guidance during that process on how to develop high quality implementable standards in Direct Provision accommodation. The agreed Standards will come into force in January 2021 and the plan is that the new inspection regime will be rolled out on an incremental basis with effect...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Social Media Monitoring (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...officials followed “hashtags” and keywords that related to An Garda Síochána, prisons, family law, domestic violence, stillhere.ie, family courts, immigration, asylum and, as noted by the Deputy, direct provision. This work meant the Department was in a position to respond earlier to issues that were arising online, when most of its workforce was working remotely. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Direct Provision system has provided accommodation, food, healthcare and other essential needs for more than 65,000 people since its inception some twenty years ago. While it ensures that these basic needs are met, the intervening years have shown that people claiming international protection need a system that is responsive to their individual needs and that fully respects...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (9 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, will publish a White Paper by the end of this year, informed by the recommendations of the Advisory Group, which will set out how a replacement to the Direct Provision system will be structured and the steps to achieving it.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (8 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...funding from my Department has also been established as an additional support for residents during this time. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to end the current system of Direct Provision within the lifetime of the Government and to replace it with a new international protection accommodation policy, centred on a not-for-profit approach. The intention is to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (8 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: Direct Provision centre inspection reports up to mid 2018 were published on a dedicated website www.ria-inspections.gov.ie. Due to technical difficulties with that website, subsequent reports have been published on a separate website www.ria.gov.ie where reports of inspections up to March 2020 are available. As a result of the health and safety restrictions with respect to the COVID-19...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (8 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...19 crisis, my Department does not maintain data on the number of such households. The best available information is that, as of 30 August 2020, there were 7,056 residents being accommodated in Direct Provision centres, of whom 3,804 belong to a family group. These 3,804 residents belong to 1,185 individual family groups.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Contracts (8 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...Sector. To do this my officials followed “hashtags” and keywords that related to An Garda Síochána, prisons, family law, domestic violence, stillhere.ie, family courts, immigration, asylum, and direct provision. This work meant the Department was in a position to respond earlier to issues that were arising online, when most of its workforce was working remotely....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (8 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...by the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre, which can be found on its website www.hpsc.ie. That guidance exists precisely because it is recognised that congregated settings such as Direct Provision centres present specific challenges in this pandemic. During this time, centre managers have also been advised to increase the standard and frequency of cleaning throughout the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Direct Provision System (30 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...make sure they were able to continue in their education and that, where possible, they had access to the right technology to make sure they could continue learning. This applies to all children in direct provision. My officials have been on site in recent days to assess the situation first-hand but, most important, to listen to the concerns of the residents. I also asked them to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Direct Provision System (30 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: .... The commitments we have made in the programme for Government now provide us with a unique opportunity to finally get this right after 20 years. We have committed to ending the current system of direct provision within the lifetime of the Government and replacing it with a new international protection accommodation policy which is focused on a not-for-profit approach. Responsibility...

Seanad: Skellig Star Direct Provision Centre and the Future of Direct Provision: Statements (30 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank Senators for inviting me here to speak today on what is a very important topic for them, and for me as Minister for Justice and Equality. The direct provision system has provided accommodation, food, healthcare and other essential needs for more than 65,000 people since its inception some 20 years ago. While it ensures their basic needs are met, the intervening years have taught us...

Seanad: Skellig Star Direct Provision Centre and the Future of Direct Provision: Statements (30 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...for themselves and their families and to see their children go to school. They had come from very difficult circumstances and wanted to start afresh in this country. Dealing with the issues in the direct provision system is an absolute priority for me in the short space of time that it will be under my remit. It is a priority for the Minister with responsibility for equality and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (30 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...to contract bed spaces in hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses to meet demand. The premises referred to by the Deputy is one of those premises contracted on an emergency basis.  As it is not contracted as a Direct Provision Centre, the inspection regime operated by my Department does not apply to this premises. This is because the inspection regime is designed to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (28 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...Deputy has been contracted by my Department on a rolling basis since April 2020, to support the Department’s COVID-19 response and specifically to provide short-term accommodation to persons in the Direct Provision system who are required by the health authorities to isolate after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis.  For this reason, details of the number of people accommodated...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (28 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...to contract bed spaces in hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses to meet demand. The Central Hostel in Miltown Malbay is one of those premises contracted on an emergency basis. As it is not contracted as a Direct Provision Centre, the inspection regime that exists within my Department does not apply to this premises. This is because the inspection regime is designed to monitor compliance...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (22 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...as stated in the Programme for Government is to publish a White Paper by the end of this year, informed by the recommendations of the Expert Group, which will set out how a replacement to the Direct Provision system will be structured and the steps to achieving it. It will be a matter for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, to progress the matter following the transfer of this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (21 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: ...as stated in the Programme for Government is to publish a White Paper by the end of this year, informed by the recommendations of the Expert Group, which will set out how a replacement to the Direct Provision system will be structured and the steps to achieving it. It will be a matter for the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, to progress the matter following the transfer of this...