Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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301. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on an accommodation centre for Ukrainian refugees (detailed supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6090/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department is now accommodating in excess of 70,000 people, including both those fleeing the war in Ukraine and those seeking International Protection. We have contracted in excess of 42,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 700 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.

My Department is responsible for providing suitable short-term temporary accommodation to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. Decisions on awarding contracts to existing and new providers will be made in the context of the overall humanitarian situation in Ukraine, the projections in terms of likely arrivals given trends to date and the management of our accommodation needs as a whole given those factors. In that regard, it is therefore impossible to provide information related to individual contracts.

The Government decision of 28 October 2022 agreed that a move from an emergency response to a more mainstreamed approach is appropriate in light of the high numbers of arrivals, both those fleeing the conflict in Ukraine and those seeking asylum. The high level of demand requires us to maximise existing capacity, to bring greater consistency and to ensure equity for all who rely on State supports. This includes taking account of the level of income supports being provided by the State in addition to accommodation and access to a range of State services. The decision involved moving to a more standard offer of accommodation, with more Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection utilising existing state income supports or income from employment ]to pay for their own food and day-to-day expenses.

To give effect to the Government decision, my Department is in ongoing negotiations, as contracts expire, with a significant number of hotels who have previously been accommodating Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPS) on a full board basis. At this time no provider has definitively indicated that they will not provide accommodation for BOTPs under the new contract, but negotiations are still ongoing.

I also wish to advise that, as part of the whole of Government response to the increased arrivals, the State is committed to delivering accommodation solutions beyond serviced accommodation. My Department is collaborating with the OPW in terms of implementing the rapid build homes programme. My Department is also working with the Department of Housing to deliver accommodation in certain refurbished buildings.

Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection are also entitled to make their own private arrangements and can avail of some supports to do so. In addition, beneficiaries may be able to avail of offers of pledge accommodation. Those wishing to avail of such accommodation should contact the Irish Red Cross and/or the Local Authority in that area.

I also wish to draw attention to the Government announcement regarding the new call for unoccupied houses. The campaign to assist those fleeing the war in Ukraine may be of interest in the context of the query and further information can be found atofferahome.ie/