Today, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published a one-year overview report on the monitoring and inspection of International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres.
HIQA commenced monitoring and inspecting permanent IPAS centres against national standards in January 2024, carrying out 60 inspections of 51 centres during the year.
HIQA found that many service providers ensured that their centres were of a good standard and that the services they were delivering were safe, of a high quality and promoted and protected the rights of residents. Most adults, children and young people reported generally positive experiences living in accommodation centres.
However, the report also highlights that considerable room for improvement remains across a range of areas including governance and management, risk management and safeguarding and protection.
HIQA’s Head of Programme for Monitoring International Protection Accommodation Service Centres, Bronagh Gibson, said: “Our inspections throughout 2024 showed that the current system of international protection accommodation is not adequately resourced to meet demand. This has had a notable impact on the quality of accommodation and services that are being provided to some people seeking protection in Ireland. For example, during our inspections we found that not all staff were appropriately vetted, and a significant number had not been vetted by An Garda Síochána. HIQA required urgent action on this issue and is currently assured that relevant staff members have now been appropriately vetted.
“Our findings show that while there are good levels of compliance, very clear challenges remain to ensure that asylum seekers, who are often a vulnerable population, are safe and protected from risk. Governance and management arrangements need to be strengthened in accommodation centres to ensure that high-quality, safe services are being provided. Many providers must place a greater focus on recognising and managing risks and putting effective safeguarding and protection procedures in place to ensure safe and person-centred services.”
HIQA’s report highlights overcrowding in the system, where limited access to housing in the community is reducing the availability of beds. The report outlines that 41% of residents living in accommodation centres inspected by HIQA had received refugee status or had valid permission to remain in Ireland but continued to live in accommodation centres due to a lack of alternatives.
Continuing, Ms Gibson, said: “We will continue to promote ongoing improvements in accommodation centres by focusing on standards around governance, risk management, safeguarding, vetting and accommodation to ensure the human rights of residents are upheld.
“We will also continue to consult with residents of accommodation centres to hear what they have to say about what is working well and what, in their view, needs to improve. We would like to thank all of the residents and stakeholders who have engaged with us over the last year, and we look forward to working with the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration as it assumes responsibility for international protection accommodation and integration.”
