Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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497. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on pledged accommodation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48577/22]

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.

The Government is committed to delivering a humanitarian response to welcome people seeking protection in Ireland as part of the European Union's overall response. The scale of response to this crisis has been unprecedented and Irish people have displayed an incredible level of generosity in their support and pledges of accommodation.

Pledges of accommodation made to the Irish Red Cross, whether for property vacant or shared, are disseminated geographically to Local Authorities and NGO implementing partners for activation. As the details supplied by the Deputy confirm, vacant pledges are assessed by the local authority. Shared pledges are invited to move forward through the Garda Vetting process which is coordinated by the Red Cross. This process can take some time dependent on the circumstances of the pledge and the requirements of the beneficiary.

I can inform the Deputy that the particular pledged accommodation to which he refers has been notified to the local authority in question with a view to having a beneficiary of international protection matched to that property.

I trust this information is of assistance.