Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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888. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will introduce a fair complaint procedure as an interim measure for persons living in direct provision in advance of phasing out the system; and her plans to introduce short-term changes to the system in view of the fact that Covid-19 has elevated the problems. [22059/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My Department takes any complaints from residents very seriously and all residents are made fully aware of their ability to contact my Department at any time in confidence.

Where appropriate, most complaints should be brought to the centre manager in the first instance. If the resident is not satisfied with the outcome, they can make a complaint directly to the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department, which will be investigated by IPAS officials and acted on appropriately. If the matter is still not resolved to the resident's satisfaction, they can raise a complaint with the Offices of the Ombudsman or the Ombudsman for Children, as appropriate, for investigation by officials of those Offices.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, IPAS also held regular clinics in accommodation centres where applicants were invited to meet an IPAS officer in person. These clinics will resume once public health officials advise it is safe to do so. In the interim, virtual clinics have been held with some centres, as required. A confidential Freephone support service run by the Jesuit Refugee Service with funding from my Department has also been established as an additional support for residents during this time.

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to end the current system of Direct Provision within the lifetime of the Government and to replace it with a new international protection accommodation policy, centred on a not-for-profit approach.

The intention is to publish a White Paper by the end of this year, informed by the recommendations of the Expert Group led by Dr Catherine Day, which will set out how a replacement to the Direct Provision system will be structured and the steps to achieving it.

It will be a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, to progress the matter following the transfer of this function to his Department and to make any decisions around future accommodation and service provision, including any new complaints procedure.