Written answers
Thursday, 2 June 2022
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Ukraine War
Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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46. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to refugees being accommodated in hotels (details supplied) in Dublin that have not been provided with beds and have been sleeping on floors and on chairs, in unsafe situations for families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28427/22]
Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine on February 24, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on meeting the immediate, temporary accommodation needs of those fleeing the conflict.
My Department is focused on providing short-term accommodation to people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Over 23,000 people have been referred for accommodation from my Department to date.
The Citywest facility is designed primarily to respond to the needs of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs).
The number of International Protection (IP) applicants has increased significantly over the last months, and as a temporary measure to avoid International Protection applicants being homeless, they were sent to Citywest where they were provided with temporary shelter and food.
Given the significant number of both BOTPs and IP applicants arriving, the overnight sleeping area in CityWest which since this week has a capacity of around 360 (290 beds and 70 mattresses in dorm-style rooms) has at times of peak arrivals been in full use.
On such occasions, families, children, and the elderly have been prioritised for available bedding and this has resulted in some BOTPs and IPs having to spend overnight periods in the main waiting area.
This is regrettable, but is a result of the difficulty involved in sourcing enough accommodation for all arrivals.
Work is ongoing to move BOTPs out of IP accommodation into other accommodation to free up much needed hotel space for IP applicants. Work is also ongoing to procure more accommodation both for BOTPs and IP applicants, but this is a significant challenge for my Department.
The Red Cow Hotel is being used to receive single IP applicants, and those placed there are currently staying in a temporary centre in the facility until accommodation is made available for them.
International Protection applicants are entitled to the same facilities at Citywest as people feeling Ukraine, with families (BOTPs and IP applicants) getting priority.
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