Written answers

Wednesday, 23 May 2018

Department of Justice and Equality

Direct Provision Data

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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66. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons in direct provision according to age, gender and nationality; the length of time persons have been waiting to have their application processed; the number waiting for more than one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten years; the number and location of the accommodation centres; the annual cost of direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22376/18]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware when a person comes to Ireland seeking international protection status under international law, the State offers inter alia full bed and board including all utilities, medical facilities ensuring the applicant’s basic needs are met while their application is being processed. This is referred to as ‘direct provision’ and not all applicants take up this offer.

On 6 May 2018, the Reception and Integration Agency of my Department had contracts for 35 accommodation centres for protection applicants. Accommodation centres are located in the following counties: Clare; Cork; Dublin; Galway; Kerry; Kildare; Laois; Limerick; Longford; Louth; Mayo; Meath; Monaghan; Sligo; Tipperary; Waterford; and Westmeath. The 2018 budget for this accommodation is €66.6 million.

On 31 December 2016, the International Protection Act 2015 (IPA 2015) was commenced, providing for the introduction of a single application procedure for people seeking international protection in the State. The 2015 Act replaces the previous sequential application system with a single application process, for asylum, subsidiary protection and permission to remain in the State, bringing Ireland into line with the processing arrangements applicable in other EU Member States. However, the Act also contained transitional arrangements which has put further pressures on processing. The main challenge now faced is the need to quickly process the substantial number of cases on hand many of which were carried over from the previous system.

As of 17 May 2018, there are a total of 3,002 applications for international protection pending in the International Protection Office awaiting a first instance decision, where the applicant is accommodated under the system of Direct Provision. Over half of these cases are less than one year in the system, 95% are two years or less and 99.5% are three years or less. Just 15 cases have been identified as pending in the IPO for more than 3 years and the length of time taken to process these particular cases may be due to the personal circumstances of the applicant. This is a major improvement from the situation when the McMahon Working Group reported on the matter in June 2015.

Some 535 of the 3,002 pending applications were made before the commencement of the 2015 Act but were not finalised by the former Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) and the former Refugee Appeals Tribunal (RAT) by that date. These applications reverted to be processed by the IPO under the transitional provisions of the International Protection Act 2015.

The following table shows the number of persons residing in accommodation provided under the system of Direct Provision. The figures include both applicants and persons who are outside the protection process who remain in Direct Provision while they transition to mainstream accommodation. No breakdown is provided for nationalities with less than 10 applicants due to the increased risk of their identification, which is prohibited under Section 26 of the International Protection Act 2015.

Female

Nationalityunder 18 18-3536-5051-6565+Total
Afghanistan6320011
Albania58903241185
Algeria71040021
Angola51212020
Armenia131005
Bangladesh222550052
Benin421007
Bolivia402006
Botswana3591018
Brazil313007
Burundi230005
Cameroon718120239
Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The55662450150
Congo, The Republic Of The031004
Cote D'Ivoire214007
Egypt000101
Eritrea122005
Ethiopia134008
Georgia3037229098
Ghana3641014
India31330019
Iran (Islamic Republic Of)1351111
Iraq111543134
Kenya422008
Kosovo / UNSCR 12447610014
Kuwait020103
Liberia110002
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya420006
Malawi33552050113
Malaysia422008
Mauritius11441020
Morocco232007
Nepal360009
Nigeria119121110121363
Pakistan82634652198
Palestinian Territory, Occupied322007
Russian Federation422109
Rwanda323008
Sierra Leone71150023
Somalia31320119
South Africa55563683158
Sri Lanka121004
Sudan132006
Swaziland223007
Syrian Arab Republic100762582211
Togo011002
Uganda2730012
Ukraine5664223
Venezuela1902012
Zambia321107
Zimbabwe941938570379
Others
Total

Male

Nationalityunder 1818-3536-5051-6565+TotalGrand Total (Male and Female)
Afghanistan101461730176187
Albania7314242110268453
Algeria9813820130151
Angola33300929
Armenia32300813
Bangladesh131024400159211
Benin11100310
Bolivia13100511
Botswana33000624
Brazil10200310
Burundi164001116
Cameroon5119202766
Congo, The Democratic Republic Of The63744630186336
Congo, The Republic Of The02410711
Cote D'Ivoire02200411
Egypt066211516
Eritrea13300712
Ethiopia447001523
Georgia311015380193291
Ghana51220103852
India41910113554
Iran (Islamic Republic Of)0154001930
Iraq163710206599
Kenya10200311
Kosovo / UNSCR 1244263001125
Kuwait454001316
Liberia51210911
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya4145002329
Malawi38602310122235
Malaysia60110816
Mauritius569102141
Morocco384201724
Nepal292001322
Nigeria149729680325688
Pakistan84231124215465663
Palestinian Territory, Occupied4162102330
Russian Federation335401524
Rwanda52100816
Sierra Leone7122002144
Somalia4145112544
South Africa781844110151309
Sri Lanka18000913
Sudan21315003036
Swaziland433001017
Syrian Arab Republic9411831131257468
Togo05300810
Uganda32000517
Ukraine447211841
Venezuela3114011931
Zambia30000310
Zimbabwe771236320265644
Others181
Total5832

Comments

Derrick Atkinson
Posted on 25 May 2018 9:58 am (This comment has been reported to moderators)

Still a large number coming from countries not at war eg South Africa !

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