Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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81. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he can clarify the position with regard to the programme for Government commitment to end the direct provision system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6072/23]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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85. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 93 of 17 November 2022, the status of the review of projected timelines for the implementation of the White Paper to end direct provision and to establish a new international protection support service; his plans to publish the outcomes of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6139/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 81 and 85 together.

As the deputies will be aware, the Government made a commitment in the Programme for Government to end the current system of accommodation for International Protection applicants and replace it with a new model that is based on a not for profit approach. As part of this process, I published A White Paper to end Direct Provision and to Establish a new International Protection Support Serviceon 26 February 2021. This paper sets out a new approach for accommodating applicants that seek International Protection in Ireland and will replace the current system.

Since publishing the White Paper, my Department has placed a significant focus on delivering these reforms. Progress made includes:

- The recruitment of a team dedicated to driving the implementation of the new programme;

- The establishment of governance structures to oversee transition to the new model in the form of a Programme Board and an External Advisory Committee;

- The development of the community accommodation model including the acquisition of some properties;

- The development of an integration programme to support the principle of ‘integration from day one’ as set out in the White Paper;

- The advancement of our Communication Strategy to include a dedicated webpage where all members of the public can find updates on the progress being made;

- The initiation of a planning process for Phase One Reception and Integration Centres.

- The roll out of an integration fund, offering grants to civil society organisations for projects supporting the integration of International Protection Applicants. Over €1.6m in funding has being awarded to 67 organisations through this new International Protection Integration Fund in 2022.

While much progress has been made, the war in Ukraine has had an unavoidable impact on timelines for delivery of the new model of accommodation as staff in the Department were temporarily diverted to fulfil Ireland’s obligations. Over 57,200 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection have been accommodated by the State.

Alongside this, since the lifting of international travel restrictions post-COVID-19, there has been a substantial increase in the number of people seeking International Protection with over 15,000 new people seeking accommodation in 2022. Overall, my Department is now accommodating over 74,000 people, compared with 7,500 at this time last year.

It is not clear if the increase in International Protection arrivals is a once-off impact due to the pent up demand after Covid and the impact of the war in Ukraine or is a trend that will continue into 2023 and beyond. This increase in numbers has huge implications for the implementation of the White Paper as the assumptions underpinning it are based on 3,500 new arrivals each year, themselves based on 20 years of data.

In this vastly changed context, an overall review of the projected timelines and deliverables in the White Paper is currently underway. This is a complex exercise that is taking account of both the delays that have arisen as a consequence of the war in Ukraine and the impact of the substantial increase in numbers seeking International Protection. It expected that the review will be completed by the end of quarter one 2022.

Notwithstanding the impact of the Ukraine crisis, the implementation of the new model is and will continue to be a key priority for me.