Complaints mechanism for asylum seekers to be revised

ASYLUM seekers wishing to complain about their conditions in the direct provision system will be able to avail of a new complaints mechanism from January.

The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) said it was introducing the new complaints system after visits to Mosney and a centre in Monaghan by members of an Oireachtas Committee raised serious concerns over the current system.

RIA told the Joint Committee on Health and Children yesterday that it was holding talks with centre managers around the country on how best to implement the system. The same meeting also heard that some residents of centres were “punished” for making complaints, and many felt “intimidated”.

The committee also heard that the total amount spent by Government on asylum seekers in the past five years totals €1.275 billion, of which €423 million was spent on direct provision.

The committee also heard from Dr Gabriel Stewart, a GP at the Mosney centre, who said he and his colleague had initially been given just three days to put forward their medical concerns over approximately 47 residents earmarked for transfer to other centres.

Noel Dowling of RIA stressed that direct provision was government policy and “to the best of our knowledge” no resident was transferred as a form of punishment. He denied complaints were “suppressed”.