Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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460. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when a payment for accommodation will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62245/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Over 650 providers are currently in arrangements with my Department to provide accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. Over €50m has issued from my Department in November in respect of Ukraine accommodation and related costs. We are working rapidly to process all invoices received, with additional resources assigned. A further 17% increase in number of invoices processed was recorded in the past week, on top of the previous increase.

My Department is prioritising older invoices with a view to clearing that backlog before Christmas.

I am advised by my officials that a payment issued on 8 December in respect of the party referred to.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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461. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide clarity on the timeframe before a former nursing home that was registered with HIQA on or since 1 September 2022 may become eligible for consideration to be used as an accommodation facility for refugees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62247/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The policy position of my Department is that nursing homes that were active since 1 September 2022 will not be considered for conversion to temporary accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, regardless of the amount of time that has passed since closure. As we head into the winter season, it is essential that capacity in the nursing home sector is preserved in order to ensure that there no impacts that will increase delayed discharges from the hospital system.

More broadly, the nursing home sector has seen a high number of closures over recent months. i am advised that, due to the severity of the impact on the residents and staff, the Department of Health has put a number of measures in place to reduce incentives for providers to close, including supports with cost increases due to inflation.