Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 357: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the number of informal complaints made about direct provision centres in each of the years 2004 to date in 2010; the number of formal complaints to the reception and integration agency; the nature or category of those complaints; the number of investigations conducted into those complaints; the outcome of those investigations; the breakdown by hostel or geographical area of those complaints; the number of complaints upheld; the actions taken in light of the complaints; and the number of residents interviewed in connection with the complaints. [31001/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the provision of accommodation to asylum seekers.

Complaints by residents of direct provision centres are dealt with in accordance with the procedures outlined in the recently published revised house rules and procedures of RIA, which are available on its website at http://www.ria.gov.ie. A copy of these rules and procedures is provided to all asylum seekers on arrival at their accommodation centre. These house rules and procedures set out, inter alia, the obligations placed both on the centre manager and the resident. It explains how one party can seek to have breaches of the obligations by the other party resolved. This document was only recently revised arising from a report from a Working Party, the membership of which included the Refugee Information Service and the Irish Refugee Council.

It is the thrust of these procedures that issues which arise are solved quickly, locally and informally without the need for a matter to proceed formally. In the main, this is how matters are resolved. With regard to formal complaints, these can reflect the complex and many facetted nature of the work of the RIA. Specific complaints can be made about food, the managerial aspects of running a particular centre, the availability of some statutory or voluntary service in an area or a combination of some or all of these factors. Such complaints are made to RIA in a variety of ways: for example, some are made by phone, letter or e-mail, others during inspection visits by RIA staff to accommodation centres, or by clinics run by RIA staff.. Still others can be made by representatives of statutory or voluntary agencies working with asylum seekers. Complaints are received and dealt with by a number of sections within RIA and, as required, a coordinated approach is taken in responding to these.

RIA does not compile statistics on the number of complaints or appeals received or actions taken following on from such complaints or appeals. If such statistics were to be compiled, they could not properly reflect the number and nature of such complaints and appeals or the resolutions reached because of the high level of informal activity enacted locally between centre staff, residents and others. However, RIA does monitor all centres and follows up where spikes in volumes or types of complaint or incident are noticeable. In such cases, RIA will meet with management, residents and their representatives as appropriate in order to get an understanding of the issues and to assist in resolving such issues through consultation and appropriate action. Further, RIA conducts information clinics, centre inspections, formal and informal visits and attends meetings with residents groups, support groups, service providers and others who engage with the direct provision centres.

IT developments in future will mean a greater coordination of information between centres and RIA. In that context, it would be RIA's intention to be able to provide details of complaints, including even informal complaints, along the lines sought in the question.