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

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond directly to him.

IPAS is currently accommodating about 27,000 people in more than 200 accommodation centres throughout Ireland. Of these 27,000 people, 5,914 have been granted status. Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, those who have had their applications determined are no longer entitled to material reception conditions. The International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS, continues to provide accommodation to those with status, while supporting them to progress into the community.

All those with permission to remain are written to once status has been granted and are advised they must now seek alternative accommodation. They are also advised that the supports of the Peter McVerry Trust and Depaul Ireland are available to them. Those with status for the greatest length of time are currently being offered a transfer to alternative emergency accommodation. In the past 12 months, more than 2,000 people with status have left IPAS accommodation and progressed into the community. This process began in September 2022, beginning with single applicants with status for over three years.

Currently single adults and couples with status over 12 months are being notified of the offer of emergency accommodation, if they have been unable to source accommodation within six weeks of the dated letter. To date, 1,256 households have been written to and advised of this transfer to alternative emergency accommodation. Of these households, 745 have left IPAS accommodation, 96 availed of the offer of emergency accommodation and 415 households are still in the process. Those over the age of 65 or with significant medical or welfare needs are not transferred to the emergency accommodation.

IPAS has a specific transition team which works in collaboration with Depaul Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust, the Department of housing and local authorities to support residents with status to exit IPAS accommodation and access other housing options.

In the interest of clarity, I would like to outline that an applicant is entitled to accommodation until their application, including the permission-to-remain review phase, is fully completed. There has been some confusion that once the refugee and subsidiary protection decisions have been completed at appeal stage that an applicant has completed their international protection application and is no longer entitled to accommodation. This is not the case. The permission-to-remain review phase and subsequent decisions by the ministerial decisions unit must be finalised. Until all of those steps have been completed, an applicant is entitled to accommodation.

There are also currently 134 people residing in IPAS accommodation who have had their applications determined unsuccessfully and have been served with a deportation order under the International Protection Act 2015. IPAS is informed when an application for international protection has been determined by the Department of Justice. When a deportation order is issued, its enforcement is a matter for GNIB. My Department works closely with the Department of Justice and GNIB to support the implementation of those orders.

Those with permission to remain have the same housing entitlements as Irish citizens. The NGO partners put in place by my Department support them to register with a local authority and, if required, to avail of the housing assistance payment to secure alternative accommodation. They also have the same social welfare entitlements as Irish citizens.

The policy of writing to those with permission to remain once status has been granted and advising them that they must now seek alternative accommodation is in place to help ensure accommodation in non-emergency settings is available to newly arrived persons seeking international protection. As the Deputy will know, we are unable to accommodate a significant number of those right now.

I think I have been able to provide the Deputy with numbers for two of the points he asked for. I do not know about the third category he mentioned. I will certainly endeavour to see what I can do on that point.

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