John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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592. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of single persons, families, children and number of persons being accommodated in the temporary direct provision centre in Bray, County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28094/20]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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593. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons in direct provision accommodation in Bray, County Wicklow, for zero to three, three to six, six to 12 and more than 12 months, respectively, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28095/20]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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594. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the contract ceases for direct provision in Bray, County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28096/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 592 to 594, inclusive, together.

As of 4 October 2020, there were 128 residents in the temporary accommodation premises in Bray, including 19 children living with their parents or guardians. There are 64 single people and 24 family units accommodated in this centre. Family units are couples or parents/guardians and children.

The table below sets out the length of stay for persons residing in this accommodation.

My Department has been using the premises in Bray for accommodation of international protection applicants as an emergency measure due to insufficient capacity in our accommodation portfolio. This became necessary from September 2018, when our accommodation portfolio reached full capacity due to large increases in applications for protection, in order to ensure that Ireland could continue to meet our legal obligations to provide accommodation and other services to people seeking international protection. The premises was offered to my Department following a public advertisement for such hotel and guest house accommodation on short-term contracts.

The contracts for such accommodation premises are on a rolling short term basis (3 or 6 months). The current contract for the premises in Bray is due to run until December, 2020. Before the expiry of the contract, an evaluation will be carried out of the requirement for accommodation in order to determine usage going forward.

My Department aims to move people from temporary accommodation to fully serviced centres as soon as possible as and when vacancies arise or new accommodation comes on stream. Our priority is to move families with children first.