Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With respect, I disagree. I do not believe that this is an attack on Tipperary or that the situation is in no man’s land. We have two Ministers engaging in this important priority area for Government. The relevant Minister for accommodation is the Minister, Norma Foley, who is the Minister for equality, disability, integration and youth, and I will pass the Deputy’s feedback on to her.

Since the Deputy’s initial remarks were specific with regard to tourism, wanting to protect tourism and getting many of those beds back into tourism, it is important to reiterate that, last year, 12,000 beds were returned from use by the Department’s Ukraine team to tourism. That is a progressive step.

Accommodation under the comprehensive accommodation strategy, CAS, includes the use of State-owned land for emergency tented, prefab and modular units, the conversion of commercial buildings, and the targeted purchasing of turnkey properties. This will include the design and building of new reception and integration centres and the upgrading of IPAS centres. It will be supplemented as required by high-standard commercial providers also.

As developing these more sustainable, State-owned accommodation systems under this strategy will take time, the commissioning of emergency commercial accommodation will continue to be a feature in the short to medium term. However, this accommodation will be concentrated on a short-term basis. If numbers drop, it can then be decommissioned as contracts expire.

As set out in the strategy launched last March, by adopting the mixed accommodation plan, the Government will begin to gradually move away from the reactive crisis response, which I note the Deputy has concerns with. That will allow the State to regain long-term certainty over accommodation availability and adjust commercial accommodation stock as required to meet the needs, and it will mean a far greater degree of control over geographic distribution, allocation and dispersion of applicants. It will also mean much greater lead-in time to the opening of new centres, which will allow for enhanced and more effective local communication. I acknowledge Eibhlin and her team, who have been in touch with the Deputy. The development of those integration links is very important.

The work is being progressed as part of the development of a new migration and integration strategy, which will shortly transfer from the Department of equality to the Department of Justice. That move is expected in the coming weeks.

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