Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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598. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will expand the plans to lease properties in Galway city centre to house asylum seekers nationwide and to remove asylum seekers from congregated settings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28249/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The new accommodation centre in Galway City Centre was selected following a public procurement process, which was advertised through the Government’s procurement portal for the Western Region. While that regional competition has now ended, my Department is currently finalising the results of a similar process for the Borders Region. Upon completion of that process, all regions of the state will have been covered by tender competitions within the last two years.

All properties selected under the tender process must be able to meet the requirements of the National Standards for accommodation centres. The Standards were published in August 2019 and developed through an Advisory Group including representatives from UNHCR Ireland and the NGO sector. The Standards will come into force in January 2021 and address a range of themes including accommodation; food and catering; individual, community and family life; health and wellbeing; governance; and meeting the special reception needs of applicants. The Standards will ensure that all new accommodation coming on stream must be able to meet the requirements for independent living by the provision of self-catering facilities for residents including a food hall and the availability of separate family spaces outside of bedrooms.

Last year, Dr. Catherine Day was asked to bring together an expert group with representation from asylum seekers and NGOs to examine best practice in the provision of services to international protection applicants, to examine likely longer term trends and to set out recommendations and solutions. Any new system for the provision of accommodation and additional supports to international protection applicants will be informed by the Report of this Expert Group, which was presented to me and Minister Roderic O'Gorman T.D, on 23 September 2020. The report will be presented to Government very shortly and I expect that it will be published thereafter.

It is the Government's intention to publish a White Paper by the end of this year, informed by the recommendations of the Expert Group, 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.