Parliamentary Question addressed to the Minister for Justice and Equality

7th September 2014 - Olivia Mitchell TD

To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons in direct provision centres here, with a breakdown of the number of adults and children in each centre, in the years 2012, 2013 and to date in 2014?

The Direct Provision system is managed by the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department. For the most part, this represents a cashless system with the State assuming responsibility for providing suitable accommodation for asylum seekers on a full board basis. RIA currently provides full board accommodation and ancillary services to just over 4,300 persons in 34 centres across the State. It is of note that the number of new asylum seekers to date in 2014 is approximately 40% higher than the same period in 2013.

In relation to statistical queries such as these, it is important to state that RIA is keen to provide as much detail as is practicable on the system which it is charged with operating. Extensive statistical information is on its website – www.ria.gov.ie including Annual Reports covering the years from 2007 to 2013 inclusive. These Annual Reports provide a variety of information, including a breakdown of the numbers of adults and children in each direct provision centre and the length of time persons, overall, have been residing in the direct provision system. This is also provided on a centre by centre basis, and the counties in which these centres are located, including Waterford, are identified in these reports.

Information in relation to the number of children born to parents in direct provision is not readily available. RIA will investigation whether this information can be garnered and will convey the information to the Deputy in due course.

In essence, RIA accommodates all those who make a claim for international protection and who seek accommodation until such time as they leave voluntarily; are removed – either by way of deportation or Dublin II transfer; are granted refugee status or subsidiary protection; or are granted leave to remain, either through the process set out in the Immigration Act, 1999 or are granted permission to remain in the State on some other basis. There is therefore no immediate year on year correlation between the numbers residing in direct provision accommodation centres and the number of asylum applications processed. Nonetheless, details of the yearly processing of asylum claims by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner are available on its Annual Reports published on its website – www.orac.ie

More generally, I acknowledge that the length of time that residents spend in Direct Provision is an issue to be addressed. The Statement of Government Priorities 2014-2016 includes a commitment to to reduce the length of time the applicant spends in the system through the establishment of a single applications procedure, to be introduced by way of a Protection Bill as a matter of priority. Moreover, there is a further commitment to establish an Independent Working Group to report to Government on improvements with the protection process, including direct provision and supports for asylum seekers. My intention is to proceed with the establishment of that Working Group in the near future whose mandate will include reporting back to Government on improvements to direct provision. I am, in advance of establishing the Working Group, holding a round table on 19 September to provide non-governmental organisations active in the field of asylum the opportunity to outline the key issues for them in relation to the State’s current arrangements for asylum seekers. I also intend to use the outcome of that meeting to inform the terms of reference of the Working Group.

Parliamentary Question addressed to the Minister for Justice and Equality

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