Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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587. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department will be able to carry out three inspections of each direct provision centre in the country in 2021. [11463/21]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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588. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of the roll-out of the new inspection regime for direct provision centres. [11464/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 587 and 588 together.

My Department is currently engaged with HIQA with regard to undertaking the role of monitoring the services provided to those accommodated in our centres against National Standards that were published in 2019. 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.

It is hoped that HIQA will begin this role shortly. A strong and transparent monitoring capacity is crucial to ensure that quality of service is maintained during the significant transformation process that will occur over the coming years in line with the White Paper that I published last Friday, 26 February.

The existing inspections system contracted by my Department from QTS Ltd will continue to remain in place to oversee issues such as health and safety, environmental safety and fire safety. QTS Ltd have now recommenced inspections.