David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To meet the demand for accommodation by protection applicants, in January 2019 the Department published a call for expressions of interest from short-term accommodation providers, including commercial hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast accommodation facilities, to obtain such accommodation on the open market. Emergency accommodation is sourced on an ongoing emergency basis, meaning it is not possible to offer prior engagement with communities, unfortunately. Four regions are currently under assessment by the Department in conjunction with the Office of Government Procurement. These regions include the south east, the midlands, the mid-west and the south west. Once completed, four more competitions are due to be advertised this year in the west, mid-east, Dublin and Border regions. I can get further information to the Deputy in more detail later by written correspondence, if she requires more.

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