Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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55. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the expenditure by county in 2020 on emergency accommodation arrangements for persons seeking international protection; and the expected expenditure by county in 2021. [28458/21]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The table below gives expenditure on emergency accommodation apportioned by county for 2020, together with expenditure to the end of April 2021 and estimated expenditure to year-end, based on actual expenditure in the first four months of the year.

As the Deputy will be aware, I am committed to moving away from reliance on emergency accommodation. In the course of 2020, my Department contracted for accommodation in 45 emergency centres across 18 counties. Currently, there are 24 emergency accommodation centres in 12 counties around the country.

As accommodation for international protection applicants is a demand-led process, the actual expenditure for the remainder of 2021 may be greater should applications for international protection and accommodation increase when international travel resumes to more normal levels later in the year.

My Department has commenced work on a Request for Tender to procure additional accommodation for single people and families seeking international protection. This tender process will focus on the provision of own-door accommodation and facilities to allow for independent living (access to cooking and laundry facilities and communal family areas outside bedrooms). It is my intention that this will allow us to improve the quality of the accommodation and services offered to applicants and to move away from reliance on temporary based accommodation and to ensure that the Department has adequate capacity and can respond flexibly to increases in demand for accommodation as they arise.