Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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474. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to a number of incidents (details supplied); the resources, if any, which have been allocated to the International Protection Accommodation Services and the Ukraine crisis temporary accommodation team to address these matters; if guidance has been provided to staff and management in accommodation-settings in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48208/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis.

The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of displaced persons like the one that we have seen over the past months.

My Department’s role is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled here. To date, more than 50,000 people have arrived in Ireland and in excess of 39,000 of those have been referred to this Department seeking accommodation from the State.

Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who require it remains immensely challenging. Due to the urgent need to source accommodation, a broad range of accommodation types have been contracted.

The priority is to place people fleeing the conflict in safe and secure accommodation.

My Department’s role is to provide short-term suitable accommodation. Whilst guidance is provided to staff in relation to the matters the Deputy has raised, staff would call upon An Garda Síochana in relation to issues of public order and prevention or investigation of crime.

I trust this information is of assistance.

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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475. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the level of engagement that his Department has had with members of local authorities in local authority areas that have been identified for modular housing as part of the Government's emergency response to the Ukrainian housing crisis; the number of such meetings; the dates, location and the number of elected local authority members that were present in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48307/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive immediately afterwards, over 50,000 people have been forced to leave their homes in Ukraine and have sought refuge here in Ireland. Almost 37,000 of those are being provided with accommodation from the State.

My Department and the Office of Public Works (OPW) are actively engaged with a range of government departments and agencies as an integral part of a whole of Government response to supporting new arrivals to the State. The Government has approved the development of up to 500 units of modular accommodation in different configurations over two phases. Final configuration of sites will be informed by further site evaluation and engagement. Both phases of the project are expected to be delivered by the Spring of 2023.

Briefings have been provided to Oireachtas members on the sites that will be advanced in the first phase of the project, as part of an ongoing process. The CEOs of the relevant local authorities have also been briefed. Elected members of Local Authorities in relevant local authority areas have been contacted and have received background information, also as part of an ongoing process, by various Departmental officials.