Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the witnesses for coming in today. I want to begin by acknowledging the deeply distressing events that took place in Citywest this week and again last night. My first thoughts are with the young girl at the centre of this matter. I hope that she and her family are receiving all the care and support they need. My heart goes out to them at this very difficult time. I am also thinking of the family of the young Ukrainian man murdered in one of the IPAS centres. I also want to acknowledge the wider community in Citywest who are deeply unsettled and frightened by what occurred. People are genuinely anxious and they deserve reassurance, clarity and very calm leadership. The unrest that followed, the violence, the damage to Garda vehicles and the injuries sustained were completely unacceptable. Gardaí have had an extremely difficult and dangerous job to do over recent days and they deserve our full support and gratitude for their efforts to restore order and protect the public. Those who assault our children must be brought to justice and those who riot on our streets and endanger communities must also be held accountable. Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy but violence and intimidation have no place in it.

Our role today, as members of the Committee of Public Accounts, is to focus on governance, procurement and accountability within the international protection accommodation service. This is about ensuring that public funds are spent transparently, fairly and lawfully and that the systems in place are robust, safe and respectful for everyone involved. It is not about policy or politics today but about ensuring that compassion and accountability go hand in hand, that we protect children, support our communities and uphold the values that define us as a democracy.

International protection applicants are protected by Irish law and EU law and those protections cost money. In 2024 the Department of justice spent almost €1 billion on accommodation and related services. A total of €230 million went to just seven providers. How were these providers chosen and did the Department use competitive tendering? What checks are now in place to make sure that prices charged by accommodation providers are fair and reflect value for money for the Irish taxpayer?