Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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564. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of transfers between different IPAS accommodation centres for each month to date in 2022, in tabular form. [51486/22]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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574. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide a breakdown of the average transfer notice period provided, by month, to those in IPAS accommodation to date in 2022, broken down by the status of the those receiving notices, for example TPD, leave to remain, current applicants for protection and so on in tabular form. [51898/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 564 and 574 together.

Deputy, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) does not collate the number of transfers in the manner requested.

Transfers between different International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres take place for a wide variety of reasons. For example, there are weekly transfers from the National Reception Centre (NRC) - where new arrivals are orientated when they arrive in the country.

In addition, individuals and families request transfers for a variety of reasons and IPAS facilitates those requests as appropriate and where possible. These transfers are more difficult in the current context of extremely limited available accommodation.

Currently, newly arrived international protection applicants are allocated to Citywest transit hub and once new accommodation is available, they will be transferred.

In the context of the current crisis, some of the emergency accommodation that comes on-stream is very short-term in nature and necessitates transferring people to alternative accommodation when it's use for IPAS expires. In the same manner, when accommodation comes on-stream, IPAS will arrange transfers for international protection applicants to that accommodation.

The accommodation situation is currently very fluid and necessitates international protection applicants be moved, on occasion, to a number of different locations. IPAS works to minimise this as they understand the disruption this causes to international protection applicants. However, unfortunately, it has been necessary on some occasions.

I trust this information clarifies the matter, Deputy.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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565. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will intervene in the case of a number of Ukrainian refugees who are currently accommodated in Killarney attending a college (details supplied) and are completing courses for progression to third level, who have received two days’ notice that they will be moved to another hotel in County Mayo; the rationale for this repeated upheaval of Ukrainian refugees; if the uprooting of this particular group of students will be reconsidered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51536/22]

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 53,000 people have arrived in Ireland and in excess of 42,000 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, my Department has contracted in excess of 33,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 500 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings. 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 a commendable level of generosity in their support and pledges of accommodation.

I can inform the Deputy that this particular planned move of BOTPs from Killarney did not proceed. My Department worked intensively to source alternative accommodation for those affected in Killarney and have been in touch with those concerned. However I need to be clear that it remains the case that we are not in a position to offer bespoke accommodation arrangements for everyone, particularly due to the increasing scale of the crisis.

Accommodation for new arrivals will continually need to be found throughout the Autumn/Winter period as my Department expects a further 10,000 people to arrive from Ukraine by year-end. The wider situation in regards to accommodation remains extremely challenging. Ireland is now accommodating 55,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection applicants, compared to 7,500 last year.

Beneficiaries of temporary protection are of course entitled to make their own private accommodation arrangements, including potentially availing of pledged accommodation if they wish, and can avail of some supports to do so. To date, 4,665 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection have been placed in 1,748 properties and this number continues to increase weekly. Those wishing to avail of pledged accommodation in a given area should contact the local authority in that area for assistance.