Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The war in Ukraine, combined with the high number of international protection applicants, continues to put real pressure on the Government's ability to offer humanitarian accommodation and has resulted in the largest humanitarian effort in the State's history. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is availing of the wide range of offers of accommodation made to it, including the use of office buildings and sports facilities, to address the accommodation shortfall. These options are necessary to provide shelter to international protection arrivals, to meet basic needs and to prevent homelessness.

The Government is focused on how to continue the sustained support for those fleeing the war in Ukraine, including those already here as well as those likely to be further displaced by the ongoing conflict. As part of this, the Government agreed that a move from an emergency response to a more mainstreamed approach, including a reduced reliance on serviced accommodation, is appropriate. This includes an increased focus on rapid-build housing and a new call for vacant homes led by local authorities.

I can confirm that the Government has approved the construction of 700 rapid-build homes with the potential to house up to 2,800 individuals in family units. The rapid-build homes will be constructed on State-owned land. The Office of Public Works, OPW, is leading the development of this accommodation in conjunction with the Department of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman. The objective is to install 500 units by March-April 2023.

My Department, at the senior officials group on Ukraine, has communicated the potential challenges arising for the tourism ecosystem, particularly in those parts of the country where high proportions of the tourism accommodation stock are directed to humanitarian purposes. The recent report from the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, which called for a reduced dependence on tourism accommodation and a geographically balanced spreading of such usage across the country, is relevant in this context.

My officials are engaging with a range of Departments, with input from colleagues in Fáilte Ireland, on how best to mitigate the potential impacts on the wider tourism ecosystem of long-term use of tourism accommodation. Analysis is being done on those towns or areas most impacted in this regard, with a focus on the sectoral skills at risk and the businesses suffering most from the lack of tourism accommodation. My Department will engage further on that analysis in the period ahead.

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