Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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596. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the updated safety mechanisms in place for those in direct provision regarding Covid-19 and the move to level 5 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36290/20]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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In response to Covid-19, many measures have been put in place by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) in conjunction with the HSE.  These measures were first implemented from the time that country-wide restrictions were imposed in March and April this year and they continue to be implemented and added to for all our accommodation centres.

These measures include:

Provision for self-isolation facilities in centres and offsite self-isolation;

Increased capacity to support physical and social distancing;

Enhanced cleaning regimes and provision of PPE;

Regular communications and information on public health advice to residents and centre managers;

Provision of a  free confidential support line for residents operated by the Jesuit Refugee Service;

Cocooning of all medically vulnerable and over 65 residents;

Temporary Accommodation Scheme for healthcare workers; 

A comprehensive COVID-19 testing programme; and

Provision of quarantine facilities for IP applicants entering or re-entering accommodation centres.

The comprehensive COVID-19 testing programme testing programme which ran from 12 September to 15 September was an additional public health measure, recommended by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) to safeguard residents and staff in Direct Provision Centres. 

Each resident and staff member was offered a test which were free and voluntary.  Children aged under 5 years and people who have previously tested positive for COVID-19 were not tested. 

The serial testing programme has helped to identify and isolate cases quickly and will enable us to assess the effectiveness of the public health measures put in place at Direct Provision Centres since March 2020. This will also help to decide if extra supports are needed.  In their report to NPHET on the outcomes of the testing programme, the HSE concluded that further serial testing on a national scale was not warranted at that time.  However, serial testing at individual centres may still take place as and when local public health authorities determine it to be necessary.

My officials in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) strongly encouraged all residents and staff to participate to help keep themselves, their families and their communities safe from coronavirus. Any resident or staff member invited to attend follow up testing by the HSE is also encouraged to do so.

The IPAS cooperate fully with the HSE in respect of any testing that Public Health may decide to undertake.  Any resident who tests positive is moved offsite for self-isolation, along with their close contacts in the centre, until such time as the HSE considers that they can safely return to their centre. The HSE operate two off-site facilities and IPAS also have provided one isolation centre.

In addition to isolation facilities, two quarantine facilities have also been established.  One provides 14-day quarantine for persons applying for IPAS accommodation for the first time.

The second quarantine facility is used to accommodate people who had been residing in IPAS accommodation and left their accommodation of their own volition.  Such persons seek to return to IPAS accommodation, they are requested to quarantine for 14 days in the quarantine facility as an additional precaution before being re-accommodated.

Wraparound services continue to be provided in all isolation and quarantine centres used by IPAS residents.  Psychosocial supports are also provided through a number of NGOs including the Peter McVerry Trust and DePaul to those residents who are required to isolate or quarantine in dedicated offsite facilities due to COVID.These supports are part of the wider wraparound services which cover things like wellbeing checks, information provision, supply runs and COVID symptom checking where appropriate.

These measures around infection control and social distancing undertaken by IPAS and centre staff since last March/April have thus far successfully mitigated the potential for widespread outbreaks of the virus across the accommodation network. PPE continues to be distributed to the centres.

Recently, my officials in IPAS prepared a new IPAS living with COVID plan, which aligns IPAS Covid-19 arrangements with the Government’s Framework Plan for Living with COVID 2020-2021.  This document has been issued to all centre managers. The plan covers issues like visitors, overnight absences, school attendance and other practical areas that will be affected as the Government scales up or down the COVID restriction levels in accordance with the national plan.