Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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214. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a building (details supplied) is being considered for accommodation for Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection or international protection applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6286/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Ireland is responding to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War. Since 24 February 2022, my Department has worked to accommodate an unprecedented volume of persons seeking refuge from the invasion of Ukraine, coming to over 73,000 people, of which over 53,000 have sought accommodation.

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 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.

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

I can confirm that my Department is considering the premises referred to by the Deputy as potential accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection. Discussions are ongoing and my Department is not in a position to disclose details of negotiations, nor of commercially sensitive information such as accommodation rates, durations and capacities of individual contractors.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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215. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department collects data on PPS numbers assigned to international protection applicants; if so, if he will provide the number of PPS numbers assigned from 2011 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6308/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Deputy, the Department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth is responsible for the provision of reception and accommodation services to international protection applicants. DCEDIY does not collect PPSN information relating to international protection applicants (IPAs). Matters relating to PPSNs are a matter for the Department of Social Protection (DSP).

If the Deputy wishes to request statistics on the number of IPAs since 2011, this would be a matter for the International Protection Office which falls under the aegis of the Department of Justice.

I trust this information clarifies the matter.