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LAST UPDATE | 26 Feb 2021
INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION APPLICANTS will spend no more than four months in six State-owned, not-for-profit centres before moving into their own accommodation under a new model aimed at ending the institutionalised Direct Provision system by 2024.
The Government’s White Paper published today lays out measures to overhaul the controversial privatised system including the construction of State-run accommodation centres.
The current for-profit system has been repeatedly criticised since its establishment in 1999.
Under plans published today by Minister Roderic O’Gorman, the Government intends to establish a new international protection support service to be in place by 2024 and to be delivered by the Department of Children, Equality, Integration and Youth.
Phase One of the plan involves identifying locations for new State-run reception and integration centres made up of own-door accommodation which will be spread throughout the country.
Wraparound services should be in place from when a person makes their application for international protection with specific vulnerabilities identified throughout.
The emphasis, according to the Government’s plan, is on a person-centred approach to support people to integrate into local communities.
The roadmap to phasing out Ireland’s network of private contracts, overcrowded accommodation and shared living spaces is to be followed up with “a blend of not-for-profit housing models”.
After four months in a State-owned centre, applicants should be moved to their own accommodation through a mix of both urban renewal and community hosting schemes but with the vast majority of people moving into accommodation delivered by Approved Housing Bodies.
Under Phase Two of the plan, all accommodation will be own-door, self-contained houses or apartments for families.
It’s intended that single people be housed in either own-door or own-room accommodation.
A distribution scheme is currently being agreed with local authority chief executives to deliver this plan.
The Government also plan to use rent-a-room schemes to source some of the accommodation for single people while private tenancies will be used to source accommodation for families “as necessary”.
It is estimated that Phase One will cost €281 million while Phase Two will cost €391 million to deliver.
The Government’s plan is based on estimates of 3,500 people applying for international protection annually.
The Department intends to build six State-owned accommodation centres with a capacity of 330 people. One of these centres is planned to be be in Dublin, the rest will be spread throughout the country.
However, the paper notes that “delivery of what will be a large capital programme within the timeframe will be challenging and require active management.
“Delays or slippage in the delivery of major parts of the programme could delay the decommissioning of permanent [Direct Provision] centres.”
In addition, the White Paper lays out supports for people throughout their application including education, healthcare, supports for children and victims of domestic violence.
This includes parenting supports and child development services, Vulnerability Assessments which the State has failed to implement despite breaking EU law since 2018 and “special refuge accommodation” for victims of sexual violence and trafficking.
It is planned for inter-agency working groups to be established in every county to ensure integration, according to the White Paper.
The plan also includes expanding the remit of the Offices of the Ombudsman and of the Ombudsman for Children to include complaints relating to services provided to residents of accommodation centres.
The Government’s ambitious plan to end Direct Provision over the next three years comes after the publication of a report from an Expert Advisory Group chaired by former Secretary General of the European Commission Dr Catherine Day.
The Day Report made a number of sweeping recommendations, including a once-off grant to people who have lived in the current system for more than two years. It also recommended increasing access to the labour market and own-door accommodation.
Dr Day said at the time that the current Direct Provision system is “reactive” and said that people living in the system “bear the consequences” of its failures.
“A whole-of-government approach” is needed to replace the system, she said, adding that “continued political oversight” was required to implement any new system.
The Direct Provision system has been repeatedly criticised by migrant rights groups due to the length of time people remain in centres while their asylum applications or appeals are processed, the conditions of centres as well as the psychological effects on those living in these centres.
Over €1 billion has been paid to private contractors and businesses since the system was established.
Today’s White Paper also includes a section from the Department of Justice & Equality around processing times for asylum applications.
It will likely prove disappointing considering one of the key elements in reforming Direct Provision is the length of time people spend in the system.
The White Paper states that “the litigious nature of the International Protection and immigration systems generally presents ongoing challenges.
“While it is recognised that applicants have the right to take judicial review proceedings in the courts, this does add to the length of time that they remain in the system.”
It also states that the Justice Department will not commence a review of progress made in reducing backlogs and improving processing times until October 2022.
A spokesperson for the Department said additional resources have been secured for 2021 and detailed work including an end-to-end review of processes is underway.
“When this first phase of work has been carried out it will enable a more detailed set of milestones to be put in place,” the spokesperson said.
Speaking in October, Minister Roderic O’Gorman said any new asylum system will take time to implement and said it was “important that we immediately begin to create a more humane system, rooted in human rights.”
‘Radical transformation’
The UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has welcomed the publication of the White Paper.
However, it warned that deteriorating processing times, continued reliance on emergency accommodation for asylum seekers, and shortages of housing in the community for those granted status risk hampering the realisation of the report’s aims.
“The White Paper on Direct Provision is a welcome, ambitious plan that has the potential to radically transform the integration outcomes of refugees in Ireland,” Enda O’Neill, Head of Office with UNHCR Ireland, said.
“In moving away from accommodating people in centres, some of which are in isolated locations, the new system promises a model which integrates access to services into existing community settings that will promote positive links between refugees and their communities.”
However, the UNHCR cautioned that the effective operation of the accommodation system for asylum seekers could only be achieved by providing fair and fast procedures for deciding on their cases.
“Fair and efficient procedures benefit refugees by ensuring swift access to safety and reducing uncertainty. They benefit governments by reducing procedural costs while respecting human rights principles, and decrease the overall demands on the reception system,” O’Neill said.
“Equally, it is important to the credibility of the entire asylum system that those who are found not to be in need of international protection can be returned promptly to their country of origin in safety and with dignity.”
The UNHCR also urged the government to put an end to the use of emergency accommodation and to appoint an independent inspectorate to monitor new standards in existing centres.
With reporting by Órla Ryan
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As election time is fast approaching some of these back benchers are getting worried about their seats and more importantly the gravy train, they are fluffing their feathers in an effort to pretend they care about us ordinary voters, in reality they have constantly proven they don’t give a rats ass……
An the voters have constantly voted them into power.
Well there is no option they are all the same party makes no difference
That’s the spirit. Sure what can we do? Best leave it as is and have a good old whine about it.
Agree look at the teacher wan with the peroxide hair( in Meath or somewhere) who has jumped from Labour to FF !!!
You missed the point… It’s time for real change.
Ok good. So what is that change, In your opinion?
Do away with the whip system would be a start, make them vote with their conscience assuming they have one, make executive more accountable, I’m no expert but that seems like a good start to me
Who cares as these guys have absolutely nothing to do with the coming budget….tossers the lot of them….excuse my french
100% correct. Germany and to a much lesser extent the “economic council” will sort it out :-) ….. So we can expect more of the same
At odds over Budget? Can they not just get one person to translate it from German and email it on?
So what’s on offer is getting more screwed in the short term or the long term.
Depending on if we meet over-optimistic growth targets.
Brilliant.
@ElasticPooch
If only it was that easy the tender to translate the budget from German to Irish than into english must be drawn up and published all over the EU, Before its awarded to pwc or Goodbodies, some may say.
Yeah, sure here now Deco will you come along to the Lockout2013 when it kicks off or are we gonna sit on our holes tweetin about this sham of a government forever?
At odds yeah right there up there sipping pints and laughing their backsides of at us
Just dissolve the government. Labour are going to end up a shadow of their former values, and Fine Gael will be in opposition next time around anyway.
At this point, retaining the current government has more to do with vanity than belief for Kenny & Co.
Hayes is a trumped up arrogant fooker. He likes playing with numbers be it 4% or 5%. The reality of mass human suffering caused by this juggling act to satisfy the markets ( Troika, Germany) doesn’t seem to concern him. Those of us lucky to have jobs are now slaves to an insurmountable debt. Those young enough and skilled are hopping on the nearest plane to escape, and yet Hayes and his ilk slavishly pursue this failed policy. Their will be no one left to applaud Hayes when he sees our deficit reach 4% as the country will be broken and empty.
On the other hand it’s just probably the usual good cop bad cop routine, float Armageddon and deliver something a bit more cosier than Hell, and the idiots will sigh in relief.
So Rob you want FF (who destroyed the country) or SF ( who destroyed the country) to lead us – Jaysus I’m outta here !
Sf destroyed the country? Explain that one for me go on I could do with a laugh!
25 years of murdering its people north & south !
Institutionalised abuse of women and children, selling off of fisheries, mineral reserves to the lowest bidder, loss of sovereignty, apartheid up north ignored thus empowering the ira, collusion with loyalist death squads/British secret services in terror campaigns, collusion with US war machine via Shannon, enforcement of banker led raid on public finances and troika economic enslavement, generations of emigration, etc, etc….
This can all be played at the feet of SF is that right? Because the last time I checked it was FF/FG led governments that gave us the banana republic, in all its 90 odd years of glorious failure, whole ad have spent their time representing people north and south that this government had too much contempt for to even acknowledge
Hang on a minute now, FF FG and Labour all have their own history of murder as you call it.
All the Shinners coming out from under their rocks – beware people be afraid
Excellent response Elrat
@Rob. Just dissolve the government?? This isn’t Egypt (thankfully)
Another FGer seeking out the media limelight
I mean Labour, but they are practically indistiguishable at this stage I suppose
Hold on… maybe it’s FFafter all? :)
Labour will be extinct after the next general election
As should the real culprits FF
This is merely a game & a smokescreen, expect far more of this kind of stuff coming up to the budget, Labour are screwed, their Local Election candidates & EU candidates are getting worried of wipeout & this is merely semantics to give the Electorate the impression they are standing up to FG! -They are wasting their time, do they think we are stupid?
Labour sold out to their Voters, they Lied, Lied, Lied!
Payback is only 9 months away!
Labour hopefully will be extinct after next election. More right wing than Fine Gael.
When are Labour going to pull a green party move, come out with a statement we couldn’t abide with the decisions being made anymore that are affecting every citizen in the country, so we are ending the coalition with fg. It’s amazing what these bastards will do to save face and in the hope the public will forgive them in the next election. The Irish people have the worse memories in the world because they keep voting these gits in at every other election. Voted out next election then voted back in election after that.
Is this the start of the orchestrated move for Labour to walk to try and save themselves? Too little too late methinks.
The sooner FG drop labour the better. There is a need for a fully fledged, right wing party in Ireland. It would give the country some stability and shut the bleeding hearts up for a while.
Thomas you clearly have a deep infatuation with Enda Kenny.
Whatever he’s paying you/doing for you, realise that you’re still talking total bollocks.
Sounds like something that happened in Germany during the 30′s, think the Italians tried it too and maybe the Spanish dabbled in it as well. Not sure how it worked out for them
Couldn’t agree more Thomas, it worked a treat for Germany and Italy in the 30′s and Spain well into the 70′s. And we shall call him Heir Kenny, and he shall gather round him like minded Blonde quiffed warriors, and before them they shall rid the country of the poor and sick, leaving only those healthy and wealthy, and corrupt enough to rule the meek whom shall provide for them monies, some of which they will keep and more they will hand over to their cousins in the “Troika”.
Rob, “Thomas” has a newly opened twitter account. He is a troll of the highest order. Check his profile ,he has already send aggressive tweets to people who have called him out on his tweets.
Thomas maybe you should go and lie down before your crazy rants land you in the crazy house………….or better yet just take your head out of enda’s rear end and get some much needed air and reality!
Can I’ve a loan of your iron for a minute dude… My natzi uniform has a crease in it..!
Questions: Do the public have access to the budget and fiscal year end information regarding budget achievement?
Anyone else think he sounds like that knacker Cowan? Might need a PR alteration there.
Why didn’t they just put a picture of Rodney on the cover shot. Jeysus what a plonker
Contradiction: Gives out politicians using the media to further an agenda. Uses the media to further his own agenda.
Send the junior ministers to the naughty step.
have your say