Written answers

Thursday, 7 December 2006

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Immigrant Services

7:00 pm

Photo of Paul GogartyPaul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 52: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has satisfied himself that his Department is providing adequate reception and integration services for persons arriving in the State in view of reports that the number of people from the new EU states using services for the homeless has doubled in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42041/06]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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There appears to be some confusion generally as to the responsibility of various departments / bodies in relation to the provision of services for the different categories of persons arriving in the State. I am happy to take this opportunity to clarify the position to the Deputy.

I should say at the outset that the provision of services to the homeless falls firmly within the responsibility of the local authorities. The category of homeless persons in this context includes: all persons, including Irish persons, who have failed the Habitual Residence Condition (HRC); persons from any EU Member State — not just the 10 accession States — who may find themselves homeless; and any other foreign nationals who may find themselves homeless.

The single exception to the local authorities' responsibilities in this area is in relation to asylum seekers who are accommodated by the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department. All asylum seekers are provided with accommodation in one of RIA's fifty accommodation centres located throughout the State.

The Deputy may wish to note that on a very specific and limited basis, the RIA also organises the repatriation of those persons from the 10 Accession States who have failed the HRC. This task is carried out an agency basis for the Department of Social and Family Affairs and involves short term accommodation pending the arrangement of travel. The scheme is very narrowly focused on the 10 States involved.

As regards the services generally available for persons from the new EU States, this is a matter for individual Departments and Agencies. My Department's role focuses solely on the promotion and co-ordination of integration measures. In this context, I should add that the RIA is actively engaged with a wide variety of stakeholders in the integration area and targeted projects are being developed with the assistance of the special €5M Integration Fund which I announced earlier this year.

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