Written answers

Tuesday, 22 November 2011

Department of Justice, Equality and Defence

Asylum Support Services

8:00 pm

Photo of Jonathan O'BrienJonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 472: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to reform direct provision centres; his plans to introduce an independent complaints mechanism for direct provision centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35857/11]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The accommodation of asylum seekers through the direct provision system is the responsibility of the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department. As of today, RIA has 39 asylum seeker accommodation centres throughout the country. The system is a constantly evolving one, taking account of the declining number of residents and of the financial resources available to RIA. At the beginning of 2009, RIA was accommodating an overall number of 7,002 asylum seekers. Today, it is accommodating just over 5,400 persons, a reduction of over 22 % during this period.

I would refer the Deputy to my response to previous Dáil Questions on this subject where I pointed out that the Direct Provision system was subjected recently to a rigorous Value for Money (VFM) examination. This Report was published in 2010 and is on the RIA website - www.ria.gov.ie. The Report found that there are no cheaper alternatives to the Direct Provision system. In fact, if we were operating a system which facilitated asylum seekers in living independent lives in individual housing with social welfare support and payments, the cost to the exchequer would be double what is currently paid under the direct provision system.

In relation to the issue of the introduction of an independent complaints mechanism for Direct Provision centres I would refer the Deputy to my detailed response to the Dáil Question of 3 November, 2011 (ref. PQ 32452/11) on this issue in which I stated, inter alia, that the system of direct provision is sui generis and that I am informed that the complaints resolution procedure currently in place is considered to be the only one appropriate to the circumstances which obtain in that system.

Photo of Jonathan O'BrienJonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 473: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce a condition into contracts with direct provision accommodation providers which allows full access to centres for mental health personnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35858/11]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The accommodation of asylum seekers through the direct provision system is the responsibility of the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department. In addition to full board accommodation, RIA coordinates, through other Government bodies, a number of ancillary services to asylum seekers in direct provision accommodation. All asylum seekers are allowed access to health services on the same basis as for Irish citizens. The provision of all health services, including those related to mental health, is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE) and it is a matter for the HSE to determine how it wishes to deliver that service to residents in Direct Provision centres. RIA will, of course, facilitate the HSE in any way it can in the delivery of such services.

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