Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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552. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 263 of 21 January 2021, if legislative changes are required for the establishment and operation of the independent monitoring mechanism tasked with carrying out inspections of direct provision centres; if so, the details of same; when the monitoring mechanism will commence its work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6932/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The National Standards meet the requirements of the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive (Directive 2013/33/EU) which we voluntarily opted into in June 2018.

My Department is engaged in consultations with the Department of Health and HIQA aimed at establishing an independent monitoring mechanism for standards in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres. It has not yet been determined whether legislative change will be required to put this in place.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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553. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 264 of 21 January 2021, the number of properties selected under the recent tender process referred to in the reply; the number of accommodation centres for persons in the international protection process that are now able to fully implement the national standards for accommodation centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6933/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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There are currently 30 accommodation centres in operation that can implement the National Standards by providing independent living facilities allowing for residents to choose their own food and cook their own meals at no cost to them in addition to having access to laundry facilities and the provision of designated living room space for families. These centres have also implemented actions through the Friends of the Centre model identified in the McMahon Report to meet the social care needs of residents. All of these centres were contracted under the recent tender process referenced in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 264 of 21 January 2021.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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554. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of adults and children remaining in direct provision in County Wexford after their leave to remain has been granted for the most recent date available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6943/21]

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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555. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of adults and children residing in direct provision in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6944/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 554 and 555 together.

As of the end of January 2021 there were 113 adults and 38 children being accommodated by my Department in Co. Wexford, including 9 adults and 2 children who have been granted an International Protection status (refugee status or subsidiary protection status) or a permission to remain.

Residents who have been granted an International Protection status or a permission to remain have the same access to housing supports and services as Irish and EEA nationals and considerable work is being undertaken to support these residents to move out of accommodation centres and into secure permanent accommodation. My Department has a specific team who work in collaboration with Depaul Ireland, the Jesuit Refugee Service, the Peter McVerry Trust, officials in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and the City and County Managers Association collectively to support residents with status or permission to remain to access housing options.

Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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556. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the start and end date of the contracts for direct provision in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6945/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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There is currently one designated accommodation centre in Co. Wexford (Rosslare) and one premises being used as emergency accommodation (Courtown).

The accommodation centre in Rosslare was identified through a call for expressions of interest and contracted for an initial period of one year up to the 25th February 2021. My Department is currently examining our capacity to meet the demand for accommodation from persons seeking international protection and any decision to extend the contractual arrangement will be based on that assessment.

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department has also been using a number of hotels and guesthouses since September 2018 as emergency accommodation centres due to insufficient capacity to meet demand from within its accommodation portfolio.

These centres are contracted on a bed and full board basis on short term rolling contracts of 3 or 6 month duration. There is currently one such centre being used as emergency accommodation in Courtown, Co. Wexford and this is currently under contract until April 2021. Any decision to continue to use this accommodation after that date will be informed by my Department’s ability to meet the demand for accommodation from within its accommodation portfolio.

The emergency centres are prioritised for closure when demand pressures allow. As an instance of this policy, my Department had been using a second premises in Courtown up until November 2020 but was able to cease this arrangement due to identifying capacity elsewhere in its portfolio.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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557. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of adults and children remaining in direct provision centres by centre in County Wicklow after their leave to remain has been granted for the most recent date available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6963/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I am unable to provide the information in the format requested by the Deputy.

There is an obligation under the International Protection process to protect the identity of International Protection applicants. As the breakdown of the numbers of residents in particular accommodation centres in Co Wicklow with a protection status or a permission to remain is very low, there is a possibility that they may be identifiable to others should the information be provided in the format requested.

I can inform the Deputy that there are a total of 31 persons, 21 adults and 10 children, who have been granted an International Protection status or a permission to remain by the Minister for Justice who continue to reside in the three accommodation centres operated by the International Protection Accommodation Service of my Department in Co. Wicklow.

Residents who have been granted an International Protection status (refugee status or subsidiary protection status) or a permission to remain have the same access to housing supports and services as Irish and EEA nationals and considerable work is being undertaken to support these residents to move out of accommodation centres and into secure permanent accommodation.

My Department has a specific team who work in collaboration with Depaul Ireland, the Jesuit Refugee Service, the Peter McVerry Trust, officials in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and the City and County Managers Association collectively to support residents with status or permission to remain to access housing options.

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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558. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of inspections carried out since January 2020 in St. Patrick’s direct provision centre, County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7021/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Accommodation centres are subject to regular unannounced inspections by both my officials in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) and an independent inspectorate company (QTS Limited). These inspections are generally undertaken, twice yearly by my officials in IPAS and once yearly by QTS Limited.

Inspectors examine all communal areas, bedrooms, kitchens and dining areas. Inspectors also examine occupancy registers, staffing records, health and safety documentation (including fire safety records), food preparation systems, menu cycles (in centres that provide full catering), facilities available to residents, information provision to residents and the condition of external grounds.

Inspections were suspended temporarily during the first phase of COVID-19 restrictions and recommenced on 14 September 2020 with all necessary safeguards in place. Following the re-imposition of Level 5 restrictions in January, inspections have again been suspended.

Officials from IPAS inspected the centre referred to by the Deputy on 24 September 2020. An independent inspection at the request of IPAS in respect of a particular matter (a pest infestation) was carried out by QTS Ltd. on 11 November 2020 and most recently a further full inspection was carried out by an IPAS official on 14 December 2020.

Completed inspection reports are published on www.ria.gov.ie once the contractor has been given the opportunity to comment on the findings and, if necessary, indicate how and when any required remedial work will be undertaken.