From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman TD, and the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, have today published the report by the Advisory Group on the Provision of Supports, including Accommodation, to Persons in the International Protection Process.
Welcoming publication of the report, Minister O’Gorman said:
“I welcome the publication today of the Advisory Group Report, and I would like to thank Dr Day and her colleagues. The Government agrees with the Advisory Group’s conclusion that the current system of Direct Provision is not fit for purpose and must be replaced. We have already begun work on the White Paper that will set out a new model for accommodating applicants for international protection, and this will be published by the end of 2020.
“Change will take time and the process of moving from the current system will be complex. However, it is important that we immediately begin to create a more humane system, rooted in human rights. With this in mind, I am taking action to introduce immediate reforms to the system. We will shortly introduce vulnerability assessments, and my Department has engaged HIQA about undertaking independent inspections of current accommodation.
“The process of delivering such a comprehensive change to a long-standing system will require the support of residents and civil society as well as Government Departments and agencies. I hope that we can call on their support to deliver a new model that will have the well-being of residents at its heart.”
Minister McEntee said:
“The recommendations will inform a new White Paper due to be published by the end of this year. The White Paper, which will be prepared by my colleague Minister Roderic O’Gorman with input from my Department and other relevant Departments, will set out options for the replacement of the Direct Provision system and outline the steps required to achieve this.”
In parallel with the work of the Advisory Group, the Department of Justice reviewed the labour market access provisions introduced under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations in 2018. Arising from this review and building on the work of an Inter Departmental Group of Senior Officials, chaired by the Department of Justice, on the services being provided to international protection applicants, the Government approved a number of changes in relation to access by applicants for international protection to work including the reduction in the waiting period from 9 months to 6 months from the date of first application for international protection.
Other changes agreed, subject to the necessary legislative amendments being made, are:
Speaking about the review of access to the labour market, Minister McEntee said:
“The review found that access to the labour market has had a very positive impact for applicants and employers. Since its introduction in June 2018, over 5,500 permissions to access the labour market have been issued, including over 4,200 permissions to Direct Provision residents.
“Following Cabinet discussions, a number of positive changes have now been agreed. Access to the labour market will be provided to persons seeking international protection within six months rather than the current period of nine months. The duration of a labour market access authorisation will increase from six to 12 months.
“We will also remove the restriction preventing people accessing employment with public health employers, subject to them having the necessary qualifications. These changes will bring us in line with the policy approach adopted in many other EU Member States.
“And, as part of my plan to transform and modernise the justice sector, I am developing a plan to transform our paper based immigration system to a digital one.”
ENDS
The full report from the Advisory Group on the Provision of Support, including Accommodation, to Persons in the International Protection Process is available here.
The Advisory Group was established in October 2019 and chaired by Dr Catherine Day, former Secretary General of the European Commission. The Advisory Group brought together a small number of highly experienced individuals from a range of relevant areas including former civil servants with large scale change management expertise as well as members of non-governmental organisations working in the sector.
The Advisory Group had the following role:
The Advisory Group builds on the work of the Working Group chaired by Judge Bryan McMahon (Working Group to Report to Government on Improvements in the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Support to Asylum Seekers), which reported in June 2015 and issued substantive recommendations on improvements necessary within the international protection process and the Direct Provision reception system.