Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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314. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans for reforming the direct provision centre system; her views on concerns about child protection in such centres; the action she is taking regarding the matter; the action she has taken to ensure that prostitution and other criminal activities are not being carried out in such centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10053/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of the Department of Justice & Equality is responsible for the accommodation of protection applicants in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal. Direct provision provides for full board accommodation supports while a final decision is awaited by a person on their protection or any related leave to remain application. At 22 February, 2015 there were 4,435 persons residing in 34 asylum accommodation centres under contract to RIA.

The Statement of Government Priorities 2014 – 2016 contains a number of commitments in the area of asylum. One of these commitments was to establish an independent Working Group to report to Government on improvements to the protection process, including Direct Provision and supports for asylum seekers. The terms of reference and Membership of the Working Group - chaired by retired Judge, Bryan McMahon - were announced in October 2014 and these can be found on the website of the Reception & Integration Agency - www.ria.gov.ie. Membership of the Working group includes the Department of Children & Youth Affairs, Tusla (the Child & Family Agency) and the Children's Rights Alliance. The Working Group is expected to present its report shortly.

A further commitment in the Statement of Government Priorities is to introduce an International Protection Bill to establish a single application procedure. Work on the Bill is ongoing in the Department and the expectation is that the Heads of the Bill will be submitted to Government in the coming weeks.

In relation to child protection at direct provision centres, it should firstly be noted that parents who live in direct provision centres have the primary responsibility for the care and welfare of their children who reside with them. The safety of all residents – especially children – is at the forefront of RIA’s objectives. RIA affords the highest priority to the safeguarding and protection of children. RIA is compliant with all legislative requirements in this area. RIA has a fully staffed Child and Family Services Unit, the head of which is seconded from the HSE and whose role is to manage, deliver, coordinate, monitor and plan all matters relating to child and family services for all residents in the direct provision system. The Unit also acts as a conduit between RIA and the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), the latter having statutory responsibility in this area.

RIA's Child Protection and Welfare Policy is based on the Department of Children and Youth Affairs' “Children First- National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children”. This guidance document was developed to assist people in identifying and reporting child abuse and welfare concerns. The protection and welfare policy emphasises that the needs of children and families must be central to child care and child protection and welfare. RIA's policy was reviewed and updated in 2014 and now contains a practice document to make it more user friendly. This document is published on RIA’s website .

Each accommodation centre has a designated Child Protection Liaison Person who has undertaken Children First – Keeping Safe Training. When a child protection or welfare incident arises in a RIA centre it is the function of that Liaison Person to contact the local Social Work Team to inform it of his or her concern and to liaise with the RIA Child and Family Services Unit.

RIA's Child Protection and Welfare Policy complements other policies and procedures in place, viz:

- Garda Vetting Policy. All staff in centres under contract to RIA are Garda vetted.

- Complaints Policy. Complaints by centre residents are dealt with in accordance with the procedures outlined in RIA's Accommodation Centre Services, Rules and Procedures (House Rules), a copy of which is provided to all residents and sets out, inter alia, the obligations placed both on the centre manager and the resident.

- RIA Policy and Practice Document on safeguarding RIA residents against Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence & Harassment.

- RIA Code of Practice for Persons Working in Accommodation Centres and RIA Staff.

- Policy on Accommodation of Aged Out Minors in RIA Accommodation Centres.

In relation to any allegations of persons engaging in prostitution or other criminal activities, anyone with information of this nature should report their evidence to the Gardaí who are responsible for the investigation of criminal matters. Should evidence of such illegal activity come to the attention of staff in Direct Provision centres or to RIA directly, that evidence would of course be referred to the Gardaí for investigation.