Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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715. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the location of the pilot programme to introduce vulnerability assessments for asylum seekers; the persons included in the programme; the duration of the programme; the way feedback from the programme will be assessed; the number of assessments to date; the methods of assessment being used; the person or body responsible for conducting the assessments; the number of persons included in the programme; when the programme is due to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21891/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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A Vulnerability Assessment process is currently being piloted by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) of my Department in the International Protection Office.  The pilot commenced in December 2020 and was extended to all new applicants for international protection from the beginning of February. The pilot will continue until end 2021.

The purpose of these assessments is to determine if, by virtue of a particular category of vulnerability, an applicant is deemed to have special reception needs, what those needs are and what actions are required to address those needs. 

IPAS assess the vulnerability of everyone who makes an application for international protection to the International Protection Office (IPO). Where an application includes children of an applicant, IPAS also assess their vulnerability in an appropriate manner.

The Vulnerability Assessment begins with an initial interview after the applicant first applies for international protection. If this initial assessment indicates that the applicant has one or more vulnerabilities within the meaning of the law governing Vulnerability Assessments, one or more further assessments may be carried out while the applicant is living in the IPAS Reception Centre, or subsequently when they have moved to longer term accommodation. Taken together, these assessments are used to determine whether the applicant has special reception needs arising from any vulnerabilities identified.

To ensure that the interview stays focused and on its purpose the assessor will be provided with a standard list of assessment questions. These questions are based on the various categories of vulnerability identified within the EU Reception Conditions Directive 2013/33/EU, and have been refined within the Irish context with the help of the HSE. The assessment will be carried out in a sensitive, conversational manner with gender-appropriate officers and interpretation as required.  

The IPAS officer who conducted the interview uses the information provided to make a determination of the applicant’s vulnerability status.  The person will be provided with a written document to this effect. Where the Vulnerability Assessment does not identify an applicant as vulnerable within the meaning of the regulations, they will be provided with a document to this effect.

However, as vulnerabilities can manifest themselves at any stage of the protection process, applicants will be able to undergo a further Vulnerability Assessment at a later stage if this is desired by the applicant and deemed necessary by IPAS or other reception service providers. This is to help ensure that any vulnerabilities that may subsequently arise are identified in a timely manner.

If the vulnerability assessment identifies one or more vulnerabilities, the following steps are taken:

- Consider whether the vulnerability identified has implications for the accommodation to be provided to the applicant at the Reception Centre and advise those responsible for assigning accommodation accordingly.  

- Consider whether the vulnerability identified has implications for the accommodation to be provided to the applicant after they move from the Reception Centre and advise the IPAS dispersal team accordingly. The dispersal team then take the outcome of the Vulnerability Assessment into account when determining where to accommodate the applicant. How this is done is described below at section 12 of this policy.

- Consider whether a further assessment is required and, if we deem that it is, make arrangements for a further assessment to be carried out. Where a follow-up assessment is indicated, the applicant will receive an appointment for this to be carried out at a later date.

- Advise the Health Service Executive (HSE) Care Team in the Reception Centre that the applicant’s Vulnerability Assessment has identified one or more vulnerabilities. We do this only so that the HSE Care Team can engage proactively with the applicant to encourage them to avail of the optional health screening offered in the Reception Centre. We do not disclose the nature of the vulnerabilities identified.

As of 21 April 2021, 306 applicants have entered the vulnerability assessment process with 165 assessments complete and 129 ongoing.  So far, 97 applicants have been identified as having some form of vulnerability as defined in the EU Reception Conditions Directive (Recast). It should be noted that not every vulnerability requires special intervention.  For example, every child or pregnant woman is identified by default as vulnerable under the Directive whose reception needs are routinely identified during their orientation period at the National Reception Centre in Balseskin.  This would account for approximately one third of all applicants detected as vulnerable to date. 

It is intended that the questions used will be kept under review during the pilot phase and refined to ensure the process continues to elicit the best possible information to assist in the assessment.