Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. I am raising the question of the Courtown Hotel emergency direct provision centre, which was opened just over two years ago, to try to get clarity on its future, particularly for the residents there, of whom there are about 36. The International Protection Service, IPAS, indicated in March that it would be informing residents they would be moved on in the coming months. That was the extent of the clarity we got. The communication with residents has been far from ideal. Indeed, it seems IPAS has only been communicating with certain residents. In some cases the residents have been told they must move with less than two weeks' notice, and in some cases, only two days' notice. Very limited information is given to the families as to where they may have to move to. I must say I can empathise because emails I have sent to IPAS seeking clarity have gone either unacknowledged or unanswered.

Some of the residents there are students of Riverchapel National School or Creagh College, a secondary school, and obviously the schools would like to see those students being able to finish out the school year. There have been some assurances sought on that but it has not yet happened. There are six families with children due to go into third year this September; they have started on the junior certificate process but they do not have certainty. The Minister of State will appreciate the difficulty of students moving into an exam year being told they are being uprooted and a different school will have to be found for them. Some of the residents have secured employment in the County Wexford area, or indeed in Dublin and are now being told they must move. In the case of one family, even though they made clear they had a hospital appointment in Kilkenny for 10 June, IPAS told them they would be moving on 8 June. IPAS said it would arrange a transfer by taxi from County Monaghan to Kilkenny for the family concerned.

I am aware that on 10 June the Minister met with the Wexford Sanctuary Ambassadors. Among the ambassadors were Sufyan and Mariam, two of the residents in Courtown. They had been ambassadors talking about the importance of Ireland as a place of sanctuary. They sought clarity from the Minister not just for the residents of Courtown but more generally, that there be greater communication from IPAS to residents of direct provision centres. I know what some of those families have experienced. From speaking with them, I know they have experienced war, political oppression and hardship. They have been waiting a long period and we have many problems with direct provision and the speed with which the cases of these families are being addressed. In north Wexford these families have been welcomed and I pay tribute in particular to Mr. John Kelly in Wexford Local Development, Ms Mandi Tighe with Gorey Youth Needs, Ms Tiffy Allen of Places of Sanctuary Ireland, as well as the wider community, which has made these families feel welcome within the community. They took part in community activities. Mariam, one of the women I mentioned, was a tailor by profession and she manufactured 4,000 face masks in the early days of the pandemic and when we were under pressure sourcing personal protective equipment.

These are families who want to contribute, who have got involved and who have made the north Wexford area their home over the past two years. Their kids are in the local school and they have helped local community organisations. At the very least they are entitled to have some information about what is going on but IPAS has not provided it. I am hoping the Minister of State can provide the answers.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I apologise on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, who cannot be here. This response has been drafted by departmental officials and perhaps we can get further into the more human side of what the Senator has raised afterwards.

There are currently 37 residents in the Courtown emergency accommodation centre, with five residents leaving the centre on Tuesday, 8 June, to move to dedicated accommodation, as the Senator alluded to. These accommodation centres are at various locations around the country and a further ten residents moved on Friday, 11 June. It is expected the remaining 37 residents will move to new accommodation before the end of July.

The transfer of residents from the Courtown emergency accommodation centre is part of the normal policy to move people out of emergency accommodation and into more permanent accommodation centres subject to the national standards for accommodation offered to people in the international protection process and to regular inspections as soon as possible.

In arranging the moves, the international protection accommodation service, or IPAS, of the Department has sought to take account of families' individual needs. For example, families with children sitting State exams will not be moved until after the exams have been completed. I hope that brings clarity for the families mentioned by the Senator. All of the families that are moving will be accommodated in centres that provide for independent living where they can choose and prepare their own meals. Some are moving to own-door accommodation and all families and single people will be accommodated in centres with staff who are trained to assist their residents to find the supports they need in their locality.

All dedicated accommodation centres also have a "friends of the centre" group, comprising residents, staff and local volunteers to assist with the integration of residents into the community and to promote relationships with local groups, such as Tidy Towns committees, sports clubs, Men's Sheds and mother and baby clubs.

IPAS officials visited Courtown on 12 March and subsequently held an online clinic with residents on 25 March. They also attended the centre on Tuesday and Friday last to assist residents with their move. IPAS has engaged fully with local services, including Tusla, Wexford Local Development and an NGO, Places of Sanctuary, in dealing with the centre and its residents. It is great that we are talking to all these organisations but the most important group to speak with are the families. Listening to the Senator's contribution, it seems that was missing. The officials will continue to assist families to settle into their new accommodation and ensure they are linked with all of the services they need in their new locations, such as school places and access to health services.

The Minister, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman, met residents of a number of centres, including several residents of the Courtown emergency centre, at an online meeting with Places of Sanctuary on Thursday, 10 June. That meeting involved a wide-ranging discussion about all aspects of direct provision and the international protection process with people who are at different stages. This included people living in direct provision whose applications have still to be determined; people who have been granted international protection and have moved out of direct provision accommodation; and people who have been granted status but are still living in direct provision accommodation.

Places of Sanctuary subsequently wrote to the Minister to relay some further concerns regarding the process by which residents at Courtown have been informed of intended moves to other accommodation centres. The Minister will be following up on these matters with IPAS officials directly. He will also be following up with his colleague, the Minister for Justice, on a number of other matters raised at the meeting, including case processing times at the international protection office and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal and the processing of applications for family reunification.

As Senators are aware, the White Paper to end direct provision, which was published by the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, at the end of February, includes a commitment to put in place a systematic programme to move away from reliance on emergency accommodation as quickly as possible. This is a key element of the White Paper work schedule for 2021. A decision will require a visit by the Department's officials to Courtown and a critical look at accommodation capacity across the network and at how best to achieve the goal of moving away from reliance on emergency accommodation as soon as possible. Officials of the Department have communicated regularly with the owner and manager of the centre and will continue to do so.

Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for the response. I appreciate there is a broader issue around case processing times as it will provide greater clarity on the broader question of direct provision. It is completely unjust that families must wait so long to get an answer to their case, although I know it is a Government priority to address that.

I am sorry but I strongly dispute the argument where IPAS claims it has fully engaged with the local community and residents. If it had fully engaged, I would not be standing here today and local schools would not have contacted me to express concern. The local representatives of voluntary organisations and the NGO, Places of Sanctuary, would not have contacted me to express that concern. Major concerns clearly remain about the lack of communication from IPAS. Frankly, as I know from past experience, I do not have confidence in the ability of IPAS to communicate its message. It does not matter if it communicates it to me or anybody else, as the most important people here are the residents. It is clear that IPAS has failed to communicate to those residents.

I ask for a very clear commitment after today's debate that IPAS would set out a clear programme of communication with residents and local organisations that are involved with this. If I have specific questions, it should finally, after all the emails I have sent, get back to me.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for again articulating the lack of communication between IPAS and the residents, including a lack of response to his emails. I will take all of this to the Minister, as I am deputising for him today. I will ask the Minister to engage directly with the Senator and have the conversation about what systems are being put in place for that direct communication.

I have also heard about the six families with young people heading to do their junior certificate and they have made bonds of friendship in the school. It is a broader element that must be considered and a conversation must take place on that as well. I will tell the Minister about this exactly. I have no doubt I understand precisely why the schools have contacted the Senator. I apologise to the families for the lack of communication and when I take this to the Minister, perhaps we will rectify the position because of today's discussion.