Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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926. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if plans are under way for the closure of a direct provision centre (details supplied) on the basis that the town is completely unsuitable as the location for such a facility in view of the lack of appropriate services locally and the fact that Ireland is entering a new phase in the response to Covid-19; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15173/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department, the HSE and the management of all of our centres are doing everything that we can to protect the health and welfare of our residents and centre staff as well as that of the wider community at this time. We are working closely with the HSE in doing so, and while the HSE advice has evolved over time, we have been assured by both it and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer that our approach is appropriate.

All accommodation centres are carefully following the guidelines for our centres that have been published by the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre, which can be found on its website . That guidance exists precisely because it is recognised that congregated settings such as Direct Provision centres present specific challenges in this pandemic.

The HSE confirmed on 20 May 2020 that an outbreak in the centre referred to was over and that the period of self-isolation for residents at the centre had ended. All residents are now subject to the same restrictions as everyone else under the Government’s roadmap.

With respect to access to services, my Department works closely with other Departments and agencies to link residents in with the necessary supports and services when an accommodation centre is being opened including with the Department of Education and Skills, DES, to plan for school provision for children resident in the centre. Asylum-seeking children living in accommodation centres are educated within the mainstream education system and can access free primary and post-primary education in the same way as other children in Ireland. A DES official is seconded to my Department to act as a liaison between both Departments and with schools, and the Tusla Education Support Service.

The Tusla Education Support Service is responsible for assisting with school enrolment and attendance. Following the opening of a new accommodation centre, contact is made with local schools and a meeting is held with the centre manager, Tusla Education Support Service and the Department of Education and Skills to discuss and agree issues relating to the enrolment of the pupils. If there is a high concentration of children of school going age in the one centre, children are linked to a number of schools in the surrounding area.

When the numbers and age ranges of the children from the centre are identified, the Department of Education and Skills will ensure that:

- Where the increase in the numbers of students entitles the school to an additional teaching allocation, this will be provided as soon as possible.

- Where the enrolment of the children resident in the accommodation centre entitles the school to an additional teaching allocation for English as an Additional Language (EAL), this will be provided as soon as possible.

- Where the increased enrolment requires an increase in the school’s special educational needs teacher profile, they will receive, as soon as possible, 5 additional Special Education Teaching hours for every 25 additional pupils who are enrolled, or a proportion of five hours if less than 25.

- Additional SNA provision for identified additional care needs.

A DES representative is available to advise schools on specific queries arising, including on the range of supports available to schools and on how to access supports. In order to ensure additional provision is made to schools without delay, schools who are enrolling children from accommodation centres will be invited by the Department of Education and Skills to apply for these supports in advance of those children beginning school.

Following the enrolment of pupils in local schools, if school transport is required, contact is made with Bus Éireann, who operate the School Transport Scheme on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills.

All residents with children of school going-age are also advised of the availability of the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.

Adult residents are linked in with English language classes run by the local Education and Training Board.

Similarly with respect to health services , residents in the centre access local health services in the same manner as the local community. Access to GP services are provided through the medical card system. The Department of Health and the HSE work closely with my Department to facilitate the delivery of health care services in the area. My Department covers travel costs for any centre resident who has to travel to access health services, inclusive of GP out of hours services.

In addition, international protection applicants access services and supports from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. These include:

- a Personal Public Services Number (PPSN) for access to public services and financial supports;

- a Daily Expenses Allowance (€38.80 per week for an adult and €29.80 per week for a child);

- an Exceptional Needs Payment if required to help meet essential, once-off, exceptional expenditure, which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. This might include a payment for clothing, baby items or transport costs to necessary appointments. The amount of payment depends on a means test and the type of assistance required; and

- access to the Public Employment Service through the Intreo Centre network where Case Officers will assist, guide and support these clients in their job seeking efforts and/or educational needs. Applicants may have permission to access the labour market if they have not received a decision on their application within 9 months and if they have cooperated with the system.

A number of measures were introduced in the accommodation centre recently to make life more comfortable for the residents and in particular the children who are living there.

Families with children were provided with arts and crafts materials, toys, books and tablets, to use as they wished. This was coordinated by the local Family Resource Centre with the cost of the tablets specifically covered by Tusla. Additionally, I am informed that the service provider at the centre has provided 12 laptops for residents’ use, including the children of school going age.

I can also inform the Deputy that all international protection accommodation centres are contractually obliged to have Wi-Fi available to residents and TVs are provided in all bedrooms to enable children to access web-based educational resources and educational programmes.

Additional outdoor space has been opened up in the centre with some seating provided and, exercise equipment has been set up in the outdoor area for residents’ use. This outdoor equipment has been installed with the knowledge and support of HSE public health, and is being operated under their direction for safe use. The Department understands that the service provider also intends to install a playground in the coming weeks as an additional recreation facility for the children.

Virtual clinics between residents and my Department officials have been held in recent weeks to address any concerns the residents may have. A confidential Freephone telephone support service run by the Jesuit Refugee Service has also been introduced as a further support to residents in all centres.

While the centre is currently catered, in line with our overall policy objectives for all accommodation centres, the service provider plans to introduce independent living arrangements with cooking facilities for residents in the coming period.

My Department will continue to ensure that centre management manage the comfort and safety of all residents in the centre, and has no intention to close the centre at this time.