Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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70. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the procedures and processes she has put in place by the Reception and Integration Agency for the open competition for the management of State owned accommodation centres; the resources she has allocated to this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17370/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The competition for management of the State owned accommodation centres is currently underway and is being run by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) on behalf of my Department. The OGP published the Request for Tender (RFT) on its website (www.etenders.ie) on 29 April 2016. The closing date for receipt of tenders was 13 June 2016. The OGP is taking the lead on this tender and staff from my Department will assist in assessment of a portion of the evaluation process.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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71. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps she has taken and she will undertake pursuant to the programme for Government's commitment to reforming the direct provision system, with particular focus on families and children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17371/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy mentions, the Government is committed to reforming the Direct Provision system, with particular focus on families and children.

Every effort is made to provide a high level of service to persons in the system. The Direct Provision system comprises not just full board accommodation but a range of services including health, education and welfare supports. The principal issue of concern with Direct Provision relates to the period of time in which applicants - many of whom have multiple court appeals - live in the system.

The previous Government established the Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers, chaired by Judge Bryan McMahon, to report to it on this issue. The Report of the Working Group has implications for a number of Government Departments and services.

The McMahon Report indicated a two-way approach towards improving the life of persons within the protection process by (i) improving the application process and thereby reducing the length of time spent by applicants in State provided accommodation and (ii) improving the quality of life of those in accommodation through improvements of services within the accommodation system itself but also the supports available through other agencies and bodies.

The 173 recommendations in the Report were taken forward by the Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform. To date, a total of 91 have been implemented, a further 49 recommendations have been partially implemented or are in progress, and the balance remain under consideration.

Just last week I met with those NGOs who participated on the Working Group to bring them up to date on the implementation of those recommendations and I have agreed with them that we would meet on a regular basis with regard to the reforms planned or in process to improve living conditions in centres.

The International Protection Act 2015 responds to 26 of the Report's recommendations. The Act provides for the introduction of a single application procedure for international protection which is a key recommendation of the Report. The single procedure is specifically aimed at addressing the length of time persons spend in the protection process. The new procedure will significantly streamline and speed up the processing of protection applications and will reduce the length of time that persons spend in the Direct Provision system. Preparations for commencement of the single procedure are progressing. I expect that the relevant provisions in the Act will be signed into law later this year.

The Reception and Integration Agency is working on solutions in respect of the key improvements in living conditions and catering solutions for families. There are legal and technical challenges which need to be tackled as part of this work. Catering solutions are already in place in some centres and a pilot project will be commenced shortly at an additional centre with a view to rolling out that model across centres in the coming months.

I am also making arrangements for those living in the system to have access to both the Office of the Ombudsman for Children and the Ombudsman.

I should also point out that accommodation centres are subject to regular and frequent inspections by staff of the Reception and Integration Agency and by independent external contractors. The reports of these inspections are published on the RIA website. Centres are also subject to inspection by various other State agencies including for example Environmental Health Officers. The Reception and Integration Agency has implemented a number of policies in all centres dealing with such issues as child protection, sexual and gender based violence and a code of practice for persons working in accommodation centres.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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72. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 85 of 24 May 2016, the status of the progress update for the 173 recommendations as outlined in the McMahon report; if the report is not available, the reasons for the delay and when it will be available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17372/16]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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73. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 38 of 17 May 2016, to outline in detail and in tabular form, specifically which 90 recommendations of the McMahon report have been fully implemented; specifically which further 26 recommendations have been implemented and to what extent; which 57 recommendations have not been addressed and the reason for each recommendation's exclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17373/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 72 and 73 together.

In my response to Parliamentary Question No. 85 of 24 May, 2016 I undertook to provide the Deputy with an update on the position in relation to each of the recommendations of the Working Group on the Protection Process including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers (the McMahon Report). A table detailing the status of each of the 173 recommendation in the Working Group Report was forwarded to the Deputy on 16 June last. This report showed that currently 91 recommendations are implemented, 49 are partially implemented or in progress, and the remaining 33 remain under consideration. This represents significant progress in taking forward the Working Group recommendations with 80% now implemented, partially implemented or in progress. My Department continues to actively co-ordinate implementation.

The status update has recently been published on my Department's website and on the website of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service.