Written answers

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Department of Justice and Equality

Direct Provision System

Photo of Ruth CoppingerRuth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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600. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will immediately take steps to introduce an independent complaints mechanism for asylum seekers in direct provision hostels. [33576/14]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) is a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department and is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers under the government policy of direct provision and dispersal. Currently, 4,311 persons are residing in 34 asylum accommodation centres under contract to RIA.

In relation to complaints by residents and by centre staff of direct provision centres under contract to the RIA, these are dealt with in accordance with the revised RIA House Rules and Procedures which are available in several languages on the RIA website at www.ria.gov.ie A copy of these rules and procedures is provided to all asylum seekers on arrival at their accommodation centre.

Experience has shown that, given the nature and the number of such complaints, they are best resolved by informal discussion between residents and management at a local level. Where more serious complaints arise, residents have the right to lodge a formal written complaint with centre management and, if the issue remains unresolved, residents can take the complaint to RIA. The Rules also allow for direct referral to RIA in certain circumstances. It is important to note that if a complaint is made in respect of a decision made by a particular RIA official, the appeal is not dealt with by that official. The complaints system contained in these House Rules is considered by RIA to be broadly in line with the guidelines set out by the Office of the Ombudsman for internal complaints systems.

The issue of an independent complaints mechanism featured greatly in the discussions which led to the revised House Rules and Procedures (which apply in all RIA asylum seeker accommodation centres) which was introduced in 2010 and referred to above.

The Review Group, whose function was to review House Rules and Procedures which had been in place since 2002, had an independent Chairman and had representation from NGO’s (including the Irish Refugee Council and the Refugee Information Service), the Health Service Executive, RIA, Centre Management and An Garda Síochána. This Group met on thirteen occasions and a subgroup also met with residents and local NGO’s in four accommodation centres.

It was RIA's view, arising from the discussions within the Review Group, that no clear model was cited during these discussions as to what an independent complaints mechanism would look like, or how it could be implemented without undue cost and bureaucracy. The system of direct provision exists within its own circumstances and RIA is satisfied that the structure of the complaints procedure contained within the revised House Rules is fair and is broadly in line with the guidelines set out by the Office of the Ombudsman for internal complaints systems.

Notwithstanding the above, the Statement of Government Priorities 2014-2016 includes a commitment to "...establish an independent Working Group to report to Government on improvements with the protection process, including Direct Provision and supports for asylum seekers".My intention is to proceed with the establishment of that Working Group in the near future whose mandate will include reporting back to Government on improvements in relation to direct provision. I am, in advance of the Working Group, holding a Round Table on 19 September to provide non-governmental organisations active in the field of asylum the opportunity to outline the key issues for them in relation to the State's current arrangements for asylum seekers and such issues may include that raised in this question. I also intend to use the outcome of that meeting to inform the terms of the Working Group.

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