Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this very important issue in respect of Newbridge. No doubt this is an issue in many areas throughout the country. The Department of integration, and I am speaking on behalf of the Minister, currently relies on the private commercial market, not the private residential rental market, to supply accommodation to house international protection applicants. The key issue is the private commercial market versus the private residential rental market. That is the issue this hinges on. If I do not clarify it fully we will have to ask the Minister to clarify the precise definition on that.

Ireland continues to experience a sustained and unprecedented increase in people seeking international protection. In keeping with its legal obligations the Government is committed to supporting all of those seeking refuge in Ireland and is considering all offers of accommodation. The vast majority of accommodation for international protection applicants is currently commercially provided. This is in response to the monumental and unprecedented demand experienced since 2022.

On 18 January 2022 the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth published a request for tenders to procure additional accommodation for singles, couples and families seeking international protection. Unfortunately, the request for tender process did not deliver sufficient capacity to meet the demand for accommodation.Emergency accommodation has been privately contracted in order to prevent homelessness. As a result, the Department needs to maintain existing accommodation and secure further emergency accommodation insofar as it can.

In light of the increased arrivals of families and couples in tandem with delays in opening some of the new properties, there is an imminent possibility of a shortage of family accommodation. Procurement policy therefore remains focused on securing beds as quickly as possible. Since December of last year, the State has not been able to provide accommodation for all international protection applicants. Right now, more than 1,780 male applicants are left unaccommodated. An accommodation crisis of this scale requires a response of a similar size.

In addition to maintaining a supply for the immediate crisis in accommodation for IP applicants, the need exists to provide for a sustainable and long-term response. In this context, on 27 March, the Government approved a new comprehensive accommodation strategy. This strategy aims to provide a stable supply of State-owned accommodation, and a multi-strand commercial accommodation stock which may flex as required to meet fluctuations in arrival rates and periods of stay of applicants within the system. This strategy will incur significant savings over current expenditure allocated to commercial providers and provide for a greater degree of control over the location of residences while also maintaining a humane, sustainable, efficient and lawful system for accommodation applicants.

The underlying rationale for the new strategy is predicated on 13,000 to 16,000 new arrivals per year; moving away from full reliance on private providers towards State-owned accommodation; delivering 14,000 State-owned spaces by 2028; and supplementing supply by commercial providers to national standards. Accommodation in the new strategy will be delivered through the following approaches: use of State land for prefabricated and modular units; conversion of commercial buildings; targeted purchase of medium and larger turnkey properties; design and build of new reception and integration centres; and upgrading the IPAS centres that we currently have. They are the key issues. The figures that I have quoted in relation to the expected arrivals are the best estimate we have at this time. Someone else may have a different estimate, but that is the best estimate the Government has as we speak.