Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

To answer Deputy Aindrias Moynihan's questions first, we have a significant number of contracts with hotel accommodation providers. We are looking to renew those through the new contract, which takes a bed-only approach to accommodation. To date, no provider has rejected the new contract and a significant number have signed up to it. This is positive in terms of our ability to maintain the existing level of capacity. We continue to engage and, as contracts come up for renewal, we will engage with more contractors to secure hotel and guest house accommodation.

Deputy Bríd Smith raised a point about ending direct provision. We must recognise the changed landscape in terms of the numbers we are seeking to accommodate. The White Paper was introduced on the basis of 3,500 people coming through the system each year. Last year, 15,000 came through it. We must respond to the changed landscape. It is posing a unique challenge that would have been large on its own, but our need to accommodate 55,000 people coming from Ukraine adds to it. The Deputy knows from first-hand experience the difficulties in securing accommodation and the challenges encountered in having to respond to inaccurate, false or manipulated information, even in terms of securing accommodation for very short periods. We must try to put in place a larger system for accommodating migrants that can deal with more than 3,500 people per year. That will be a medium-to-long-term project. We also have an immediate need to secure accommodation right now. We are engaging with all Departments. For example, we have received support from the Department of Defence in the use of Kilbride barracks and, in the coming weeks, Mullingar barracks for international protection applicants. We are engaging with other Departments and Government agencies so that we can avoid people being left without accommodation. People are being left without accommodation, and that is not acceptable. We will continue working to end that situation.

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