Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, my Department continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing the conflict who request it. To date, over 106,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs) have arrived in Ireland and approximately 84,000 of those have been referred to my Department seeking accommodation from the State.

To date Phase 1 of the refurbished accommodation at the location to which the Deputy refers has been contracted by my Department as accommodation for BOTPs, with a capacity for 155 persons. The remaining phases are pending completion. My Department has not contracted for these remaining phases to date.

Contract renewals are considered in light of various factors, including my Department’s need for accommodation at the time, the nature of the accommodation and commercial terms. Contract renewals are also subject to discussions and agreement with the Service Providers. As such, my Department cannot comment on possible extensions to a current contract when an existing contract ends.

As part of Government policy, a move to a more sustainable accommodation strategy is underway. My Department is now focused on the stand up of larger-scale designated accommodation centres for new arrivals and a reduction in the overall privately provided accommodation stock being used for BOTPs. My Department is also currently able to cope with arrival numbers in Designated Accommodation Centres, as well as for those who need to be moved due to contracts ending using vacancies arising within our existing portfolio.