John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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39. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking to address the crisis in accommodation for asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26083/23]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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What steps is the Minister taking to address the accommodation crisis for refugees and asylum seekers? There is certainly a crisis and we are seeing it play out on our streets throughout the State.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I thank Deputy Brady. Since the beginning of January 2022, more than 145 emergency accommodation locations have been brought into use throughout the country. All offers of accommodation have been considered. The Department is availing of hotels, guesthouses, repurposed office buildings, decommissioned Defence Force barracks and tents to try to address the shortfall it currently faces where demand for accommodation outstrips supply.

The State has stepped up actions to maximise the pace and scale of delivery on the accommodation strategy through the use of modular pod units and an expanded programme of work has now been agreed by the Government that will allow consideration of sites for development.

The Department is continuing to engage with providers of new accommodation. A number of repurposed buildings will shortly be brought into use as adult male accommodation. Two new properties came into use in the past fortnight, which resulted in a reduction of almost 300 in the number of those who were previously without an accommodation offer. As of this evening, the number of those unaccommodated has been reduced to 189. It is still too many but it has been substantially reduced. Further capacity is due to come into use shortly that will accommodate further numbers of those arriving. It is envisaged that approximately 1,500 spaces will be created from this accommodation type.

Accommodation has been acquired under the White Paper model. A funding scheme to support approved housing bodies to facilitate the opening of White Paper-related accommodation will be launched shortly. Work is also ongoing to purchase turnkey larger reception centres under the White Paper model. Work is also being undertaken to use rapid-build technologies to develop larger reception and integration centres under the auspices of the accommodation working group which has a mandate to devise accommodation solutions for international protection applicants and Ukrainian beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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To walk around this city or many streets throughout the State and see any person sleeping on the street is a damning indictment of the Government. To see the emergence of tents throughout the capital is appalling. For me and many other people, it speaks of the lack of a plan and a lack of urgency from the Government to address what is a crisis.

This time last year there was a grand announcement on the approval of 500 modular units to be moved forward. That was quickly changed. It was increased to 700 and the delivery of these modular units was to be last November. We have yet to see one of them being delivered. Today a committee was told that only 64 of them will be handed over in the coming weeks. This stinks of a lack of urgency. Can we get an update on why there is such a delay? Why is there such a lack of urgency?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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It is important that we do not mix up accommodation for Ukrainians with accommodation for international protection applicants in the context of our understanding of the crisis. We are able to provide accommodation for beneficiaries of the temporary protection directive. We are accommodating more than 64,000 beneficiaries of temporary protection. We accommodating a further 21,000 international protection applicants. That is 84,000 people. This is a large number who have been accommodated in a 13-month period. Undoubtedly, having to accommodate this number has put very real pressure on the system. This most clearly manifests in a situation that commenced from late January when we were not able to provide immediate accommodation for all international protection applicants. This situation escalated particularly in March when we lost a significant amount of accommodation. No one went homeless from that change but a significant number built up. This number is being worked through and as of this evening we have reduced the number of unaccommodated to 189 and we will have further reductions this week and next week.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the fact that the number has decreased to 189 but it is 189 too many.

The Minister is the one who referenced modular units in his opening comments. That is why I am asking about the lack of a plan. The announcement was made last year that 700 units would be developed and brought onstream by November 2022. Today, we found out that only 64 of those will be handed over in the coming weeks. That is 64 out of 700 units. That is a damning indictment and a real failure of the Government to plan and put in place the accommodation that is critically needed. Whether it is for Ukrainians or those seeking international protection, it is a combination that is badly needed. The Government has failed. Will the Minister outline when the remainder of those 700 units will be brought onstream? Again at committee, we were told only 316 of those units will possibly be brought onstream by the end of this year. When will the full 700 be delivered, as was promised by the Government?

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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When we are accommodating 84,000 people, I do not believe that is an indication of failure. It is an indication of a Government and country stepping up to meet the needs of an exceptional humanitarian crisis.

Modular accommodation is a brand-new form of housing. We did not have it before that announcement. No one had ever seen such a unit and none had even been built. We designed it in conjunction with the OPW, which led on the design and the manufacture. In the middle of next month, we will see the first 64 units occupied and spread throughout the country at other sites where we are working. They will be brought online across the summer. We now have a brand-new type of accommodation that delivers small but good-quality accommodation. I hope the pilot that has been run in response to the needs of Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection can now also be used by local authorities and approved housing bodies throughout the country to address the wider housing challenges, which we all know we face, having seen the lead from the development of this new accommodation type.