Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 December 2025
628. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department carried out any risk assessments or safety audits of a facility (details supplied) between 1 January 2025 and 31 August 2025, and to provide the dates, scope and any non-operationally sensitive findings or recommendations arising from those assessments. [69572/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra629. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total Departmental expenditure on security provisions at a facility (details supplied) for the period 1 January 2025 to 31 August 2025, including contracted on-site security personnel, supplementary security personnel, security infrastructure upgrades, CCTV expansion, access control systems and perimeter fortification, in tabular form. [69573/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra630. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the procurement processes, competitions, or contract renewals undertaken by his Department since 1 January 2024 relating to security services or security infrastructure for a facility (details supplied); the procurement route used; the successful tenderers; and the value and duration of each contract. [69574/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra631. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his Department’s criteria for determining when increases in security staffing or expenditure at an International Protection Accommodation Services facility require escalation, ministerial approval or an internal review, and to specify whether any such escalations occurred at a facility (details supplied) in 2025. [69575/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra632. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has compared its internal incident-data records for a facility (details supplied) with public communications issued by the Department during 2025 relating to crime rates or safety trends at International Protection Accommodation Services locations, and to confirm whether any discrepancies or variances were identified. [69576/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra633. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the internal reviews, assessments or Departmental submissions that were prepared between 1 October 2025 and 27 November 2025 concerning security arrangements, incident reporting, public-order issues or inter-agency engagement at a facility (details supplied); and whether any recommendations or policy changes resulted from this work. [69577/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra673. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the procurement basis on which security services have been engaged for a facility (details supplied) since 2021, including the legal rationale used to dispense with public tendering requirements under Directive 2014/24/EU and S.I. 284/2016. [69865/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra674. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total expenditure on security services at a facility (details supplied) to date in 2025; to provide an annual breakdown of payments to each contracted provider; and his Department’s governance arrangements for verifying compliance before drawdown of public funds. [69867/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra675. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if a risk assessment completed in early 2023 identified the use of unlicensed or unvetted personnel by a subcontractor engaged by a company (details supplied); and the actions taken at policy and contract-management level in response to the findings. [69868/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra676. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his Department’s procedures for ensuring that all personnel deployed at IPAS-managed accommodation centres hold valid licences issued by the Private Security Authority; and the way in which these compliance checks are monitored, recorded and enforced. [69869/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra677. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason payments to a company (details supplied) continued after the completion of the 2023 risk assessment; and whether his Department conducted any contract review, escalation or sanction process before authorising further expenditure. [69870/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra678. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the due-diligence process undertaken by his Department before the appointment of a company (details supplied) as a security provider for a facility; and whether his Department assessed any corporate or beneficial links between the companies. [69871/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra679. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if a competitive process was conducted prior to the engagement of a company (details supplied); the number firms which were considered; and the basis on which the final decision was made. [69872/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra680. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the safeguarding, child-protection and risk-management framework in place at a facility (details supplied); and whether this framework has been updated following the incidents reported in 2025. [69873/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra681. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his Department’s policy on the use of subcontractors within security contracts at IPAS facilities; the oversight mechanisms that apply to subcontractor vetting, licensing and pay practices; and the way in which compliance is verified. [69874/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra682. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department plans to initiate an open procurement process for security services at a facility (details supplied) in 2026; and if future contracts will be subject to standard competitive tendering rather than emergency exemptions. [69875/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 628, 629, 630, 631, 632, 633, 673, 674, 675, 676, 677, 678, 679, 680, 681 and 682 together.
In all International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres, whether they are commercially provided or State-owned, the accommodation service provider is responsible for the provision of services and is contractually obliged to ensure all activities at the property are within agreed standards and legal limits.
Centre management and providers are responsible for day-to-day operational arrangements on the site, including staffing, catering, health and safety, utilities, security arrangements, and other requirements.
This includes compliance with all child protection, safeguarding and other policies specified by IPAS as relevant to each centre and the services they provide, and set out in relevant legislation and regulations.
Centres are subject to oversight arrangements and validation of compliance with all requirements through the Department's compliance team, with additional independent inspection and quality control through either Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) or IPAS-commissioned inspections.
In relation to your questions about security services and procurement arrangements, the Department holds contracts with accommodation providers, who in turn are obliged to ensure provision of staffing and services at the centre. As such, the Department does not procure these services and therefore data is not available.
In the accommodation contracts and appraisals carried out by my Department, in relation to security, requirements for security service provision are clearly set out, e.g. CCTV, 24 hour service, along with the need to comply with the licensing requirements of the Private Security Authority (PSA).
In relation to reviews of security arrangements undertaken at Citywest during October and November 2025, my officials continue to work closely with An Garda Síochána to keep such arrangements under review. My Department does not disclose detailed information about security arrangements in this context.
