Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Since January 2022 there has been a substantial increase in the number of new International Protection arrivals with more than 26,600 up to 5th December 2023. These figures are notably in addition to the significant numbers coming to Ireland who have fled the war in Ukraine. Over 100,000Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection orders have been granted to date, with over 74,000 requiring accommodation. The State is under pressure to provide accommodation for the volumes being experienced.

In this context, there is a recognition that the underlying assumptions on which the White Paper to end Direct Provision and Establish a New International Protection Support Servicewas based needed to be re-examined, as the assumptions underpinning it are based on 3500 new arrivals each year. This review process is currently ongoing. In terms of next steps, a cabinet memo will be going to government in the coming weeks setting out a revised implementation approach including new time lines. There will be new ambition in terms of increasing the state owned permanent accommodation capacity to meet increasing needs.

Notwithstanding the acute accommodation pressures faced by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) in accommodating International Protection applicants, significant work has continued to deliver on the commitments made in the White Paper under the three core strands – Accommodation, Integration and Supports.

Accommodation

• Increasing the state owned accommodation capacity including progressing the buying of pre-existing buildings and advancing the planning process for the construction of purpose built centres.
• Work has also been carried out to deliver some accommodation in the community with thirty-seven properties purchased to date. Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) have been commissioned to operationalise these properties, and will be prioritised to accommodate vulnerable IP applicants. The properties will be delivered on a phased basis over the next number of months.
• A dedicated unit for victims of trafficking (VOT) in accordance with White Paper recommendations has been established. The VOT unit is staffed and the first residents moved into the unit earlier this month.
• The Department is progressing the introduction of independent monitoring of IPAS centres by HIQA, providing greater confidence on the standards being applied in existing IP accommodation. HIQA's role will apply to all ‘permanent’ centres contracted by the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS). All IPAS accommodation centres are already subject to regular unannounced inspections both by officials in IPAS and by an independent inspectorate company. Planning is near completion on this process, and HIQA has conducted pilot inspections in a small number of IPAS centres.

With regards to Integration

• Government has granted International Protection applicants the right to work after six months, the right to apply for a driving licence, and access to bank accounts.
• A new local integration model has been developed in collaboration with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), the City and County Management Authority (CCMA) and the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA). The model centres on a new national network of Local Authority Integration Teams (LAITs), funded by my Department, to be located in each local authority, to better help International Protection applicants engage with existing local services. Recruitment by Local Authorities is currently underway and a Working Group, chaired by the LGMA, has been established to develop the detailed functions of the LAITs.
• An International Protection Integration Fund was launched in 2022, which aims to enable community based organisations across Ireland to play a greater role in supporting the integration of International Protection applicants at local and national level. Over €2.8m in funding have been awarded to 137 organisations since the fund was launched in 2022. This year 71 projects have been awarded €1,220,776 in funding. Organisations eligible to apply include local community groups, charities, faith-based groups, schools and cultural organisations. Applicant organisations must operate on a not-for-profit basis.

In terms of Supports Services,

• A vulnerability assessment process has been available to all IP applicant arrivals since February 2021. This process is enabling my Department to identify IP applicants with specified needs and to refer such persons, as necessary, to the HSE where those needs involve mental or physical health issues.
• A new fund has been established to further support the work of the Children and Young People’s Services Committees. The White Paper places a focus and emphasis on family, child welfare and child protection and includes a commitment to expand the work of Children and Young People’s Services Committees to enable their engagement with families in IPAS accommodation. The particular challenges faced by families in International Protection requires a specific focus. In this context, I made over €1.3m available to CYPSCs for 2023 to support them in further developing, enhancing and expanding the provision of their support services to families in IPAS accommodation. This supported a range of initiatives including projects aimed at Community Integration, Supports for Parents, Emergency Accommodation and Mental Health. This has enabled families and children in International Protection to engage with their local community through for music and sports programmes, well-being programmes and cultural community exchange events. Following the success of this year, I have allocated an increased amount of €1.5m to provide this service in 2024.
• A customer service team was established within my Department in 2021 which runs clinics, often in cooperation with NGO partners, for applicants in newly established centres or in centres with higher than average complaints rates.
• NGOs have been contracted to provide in-centre supports to IP applicants. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), for instance, has been contracted to provide orientation and social supports to IP applicants at the Citywest Transit Hub and to link them with mainstream services.
• The REALT network of language supports for Ukrainian children has been extended to provide support to children in International Protection in terms of securing school places and additional supports. The primary role of the REALT is to build on existing regional education support structures and the initial focus will be on assisting families in securing school places. REALT will also support schools in the area to meet the needs of these children as they emerge, to advise and support the Department in developing new capacity where required, and to co-ordinate the provision of education services to schools and families across their defined area. This work involves working with the families, school principals and communities to locate school places, providing relevant information as well as signposting to supports across the system.
• Under the European Social Fund 2021-2027 funding has been allocated the DCEDIY to recruit dedicated practitioners to support families living in IPAS accommodation. Adopting a multi-agency, multidisciplinary approach, these practitioners will provide a standardised pathway for family support within each of the 17 Tusla areas. Supports will vary depending on the needs of each individual family but may consist of delivering individualised parenting programmes and family support clinics or facilitating the integration of families by building connections with Family Resource Centres in the locality.

The implementation of the new model of accommodation and supports for International Protection applicants is and will continue to be a key priority for my Department. As highlighted, work is progressing in key areas, and this will have a positive impact on the system and improve the lives of those living in international protection accommodation.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Staffing White Paper International Protection Support Service Transition Team

Year	No of Staff
End 2021	5
End 2022	7
Current 2023	9