More than 1,300 people ‘trapped’ in direct provision due to lack of housing

More than 1,300 people who could have left direct provision more than two years ago are still “trapped” there because they cannot get access to housing.

Figures released by the Department of Equality and Integration show that of the 1,636 people who have been granted leave to remain in the country, but who still live in direct provision, some 1,303 have been there for 25 months or more.

Another 230 have remained in direct provision for 13-24 months, 72 for between seven and 12 months, and 31 have been there for six months or less. There are 1,189 adults and 447 children in this position.

The number of people still in direct provision having been granted leave to remain was made public before Christmas, but the length of time they have stayed in the system was released last week to Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin.

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The Dublin Mid West TD said that since he started tracking the issue in 2018, the number of people who were in direct provision because they could not find somewhere outside the system to live had increased by 200 per cent. There was a rapid increase in recent years, with a rise of 60 per cent between November 2020 and the same month in 2021.

“It appears there is virtually no movement over the last three years; the more individuals and families who get their leave to remain, the more are trapped in the system,” Mr Ó Broin said.

Dedicated staff

He said there needed to be a dedicated piece of work done by the Department of Equality and the Department of Housing to target the issue. “One option is to repeat what was done at the height of the family homelessness crisis, which could be to set up a dedicated staff member to source rental properties for families still in direct provision more than 12 or six months after their leave to remain date.”

In the response to his parliamentary question, the department said some people may not have been in direct provision for the full length of time indicated in the data as they might have left their accommodation at points for various reasons and then applied to return.

A spokesman for Minister for Equality Roderic O’Gorman previously said the department was conscious of the need to support successful applicants for international protection, and it had a team which works with the Department of Housing and NGOs on housing issues for those with permission to remain in the country.

Successful applicants are notified by letter of the supports available to them, and the Housing Agency has been tasked by the Department of Housing with providing expert advice on sourcing accommodation.