While the number of people in the Direct Provision asylum system has gone down over the last 11 months, the number of children spending more than 5 years in the system has increased by a whopping 50% to 165 children. This Minister for Justice has just provided these figures to me in the Dáil reply below.

The Direct Provision system was never supposed to provide long term accommodation and it is never acceptable that people should spend years in that system.

Anyone who has had the opportunity to visit some of these facilities when that was possible, or to engage with people who are stuck in that system, cannot be but impacted by the mental health, psychological and emotional issues faced by those stuck in it.

As I have said in the past in Dáil Éireann on numerous occasions, having nothing to do and all day to do it, in the Direct Provision system, is not good for any individual or their mental health.

Many of us as Irish people have seen this at first hand over the past 18 months as a result of the Covid-19 lockdowns, and we all know that this is not at all easy. Imagine what it would be like to be stuck with such restrictions for 7 years!

It is not good, right or acceptable that we are still looking at an average two-year processing period for asylum applications.

And it is unjust that 745 people including 165 children to have to wait over 5 years to get a final answer to their application. Children have been born and, in some instances, have gone through their primary education living in these direct provision facilities.

They all deserve a decision. Whatever that decision is, they deserve a timely decision based on all the evidence. Neither is it good for the taxpayer.

It is imperative that an expeditious and properly resourced system is put in place.

Some 11 years ago, the late Brian Lenihan brought forward the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill to reform the processing of asylum applications in this country. Many elements of that legislation remain outstanding to this day. We need to have a streamlined process for everyone involved. There must be clear and definitive timelines in order that those in the system can get a timely decision.

And we must not forget about some of the disgraceful practices seen in the past within the direct provision and hostel systems. Last year I spoke in the Dáil about the scandal of unaccompanied minors in the hostel system. During the height of the economic boom in the 2000s, 443 children went missing from hostel facilities run by the HSE and were never seen again.

Some children missing from the hostel system were found in brothels, in restaurants or had been subsequently trafficked out of this jurisdiction. However, 443 of those children were never found.

These were children who were put into the custody of the State and just disappeared.

That practice had been brushed under the carpet until eventually it was exposed and addressed. Thankfully, that hostel system has been outlawed once and for all.

We now need to see a similar approach being taken to the direct provision system.

 

Oct 2020

Time Spent	Adult	Child	Total
0-5 Months	268	65	333
6-11 Months	861	274	1,135
1+ Years	1,743	663	2,406
2+ Years	941	436	1,377
3+ Years	523	201	724
4+ Years	364	138	502
5+ Years	260	57	317
6+ Years	81	25	106
7+ Years	86	28	114
Grand Total	5,127	1,887	7,014
Sept 2021 Time Spent Adult Child Total 0-5 Months 408 114 522 6-12 months 496 110 606 1+ years 1240 428 1668 2+ years 1180 454 1634 3+ years 591 294 885 4+ years 311 127 438 5+ years 309 108 417 6+ years 157 28 185 7+years 94 29 123 Grand Total 4786 1692 6478

 

These figures were obtained from Dáil replies that I have received from the Minister for Justice, below

 

______________________________________________
For Written Answer on : 09/09/2021
Question Number(s): 773,767 Question Reference(s): 42533/21, 42347/21
Department: Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Asked by: Denis Naughten T.D., Peadar Tóibín T.D.
______________________________________________

QUESTION

* To ask the Minister for Children; Equality; Disability; Integration and Youth the number of persons in the direct provision system for less than six and between six and 12 months; the number in excess of one, two, three, four, five, six and seven years, respectively; the corresponding figures for children;; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

– Denis Naughten T.D.

For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 9 September, 2021.

* To ask the Minister for Children; Equality; Disability; Integration and Youth the number of persons currently in direct provision.

– Peadar Tóibín T.D.

For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 9 September, 2021.

REPLY

As of 07 September 2021, a total of 6,478 people are recorded by my Department as being resident in accommodation provided by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), of whom 1,692 are children. This includes people who are resident in Direct Provision centres and in temporary accommodation in hotels and guesthouses.
The table below shows the number of people in accommodation broken down by their length of stay and whether they are an adult or a child.

Time Spent	Adult	Child	Total
0-5 Months	408	114	522
6-12 months	496	110	606
1+ years	1240	428	1668
2+ years	1180	454	1634
3+ years	591	294	885
4+ years	311	127	438
5+ years	309	108	417
6+ years	157	28	185
7+years	94	29	123
Grand Total	4786	1692	6478

These figures represent continuous periods of residence and cannot reflect interrupted residential periods where the person may have left IPAS accommodation and returned at a later stage. In addition, these figures only relate to persons who have registered with the International Protection Office (IPO) and do not reflect children resident in the centres who may not have been registered by their parents.
The length of time a person stays in state provided accommodation generally reflects the length of time taken to reach a final conclusion on their application for international protection or other permission to reside in the State and may also include applications to revoke Deportation Orders. As the application process also allows for legal challenges against negative decisions at many stages of the process, the time taken to finalise many cases can be prolonged.
As of the end of August 2021, there are also 1,185 residents with an international protection status or a permission to remain in the State, residing in accommodation centres provided by my Department.

Considerable work is being undertaken to support these residents to move out of accommodation centres and into secure accommodation in the community. My Department has a specific team in IPAS who work in collaboration with a number of key stakeholders to collectively support residents with status, or a permission to remain, to access housing options.

These stakeholders include; Depaul Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the City and County Managers Association.

 

 

Tuesday, 13 October 2020

Department of Justice and Equality

Direct Provision System

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)

372. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the numbers of persons in the direct provision system for less than six and between six and 12 months; the numbers in excess of one, two, three, four, five, six and seven years, respectively; the corresponding figures for children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29964/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)

As of 11 October 2020, a total of 7,014 people are recorded by my Department as being resident in accommodation provided by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), of whom 1,887 are children. This includes people who are resident in Direct Provision centres, in emergency accommodation in hotels and guesthouses and in Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres used to accommodate refugees admitted under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP).

The table below shows the number of people in accommodation broken down by their length of stay and whether they are an adult or a child.

Time Spent	Adult	Child	Grand Total
0-5 Months	268	65	333
6-11 Months	861	274	1,135
1+ Years	1,743	663	2,406
2+ Years	941	436	1,377
3+ Years	523	201	724
4+ Years	364	138	502
5+ Years	260	57	317
6+ Years	81	25	106
7+ Years	86	28	114
Grand Total	5,127	1,887	7,014

These figures represent continuous periods of residence and cannot reflect interrupted residential periods where the person may have left our accommodation and returned at a later stage. In addition, these figures only relate to persons who have registered with the International Protection Office (IPO) and does not reflect children resident in the centres who may not have been registered by their parents.

The length of time a person stays in state provided accommodation generally reflects the length of time taken to reach a final conclusion on their application for international protection or other permission to reside in the State and may also include applications to revoke Deportation Orders. As the application process also allows for legal challenges against negative decisions at many stages of the process, the time taken to finalise many cases can be prolonged.

There are also more than 1,000 residents with an international protection status or a permission to remain in the State. My Department has a specific team who work in collaboration with DePaul Ireland, the Jesuit Refugee Service, the Peter McVerry Trust, officials in the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, and the City and County Managers Association to collectively support these residents to access housing options. Between January and September of this year, 900 people have moved to accommodation in the community, of whom 644 received assistance from the support services outlined.

While responsibility for accommodating applicants for international protection is transferring to the new Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Affairs, the system for the processing of international protection applications will remain under my remit. My Department and I will continue to make improvements to facilitate timely decisions while also maintaining the integrity of the system.