Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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515. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on the use of a property (details supplied) to provide emergency accommodation for people seeking emergency protection; the number of persons currently residing at that location; when it is expected that they will be relocated; and whether IPAS intends to reapply for a fire safety certificate on foot of additional work being carried out at the building. [8757/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Deputy, in response to your request for an update on the use of Dolcain House for the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) emergency accommodation centre, I can provide the following information:

Although the building has a valid fire certificate for office use and significant remedial works were carried out to mitigate fire safety issues for emergency residential use, the building did not secure a valid fire safety certificate for residential use from South Dublin County Council.

IPAS vacated the premises to allow remedial works to be carried out for future use by IPAS.

All international protection applicants (IPAs) that were residing in Dolcain have been accommodated elsewhere in the IPAS accommodation portfolio.

Remedial works are currently being carried out. Once complete, the property owners will apply for a residential fire certificate for the building and this application will be assessed by SDCC and Dublin Fire Brigade.

Should a valid fire certificate for residential use be obtained, IPAs will be accommodated in the building.

The Government is obliged to provide accommodation to IPAs under the EU Recast Reception Conditions Directive. IPAS is currently providing accommodation to 19,818 persons (as of 12 February 2023). Over 90 new accommodation centres have been opened since 1 January 2022 and while IPAS has brought accommodation on stream in a range of repurposed buildings and facilities, arrivals have consistently run ahead of available capacity.

In the first six weeks of 2023, over 1,500 people arrived seeking international protection (IP) in Ireland.

The overflow facility at the Citywest Transit Hub has reached capacity and it became necessary to pause arrival of newly arrived IPAs into the overflow facility at Citywest from 24 January. Since the paused entry a total of 219 IPAs remain unaccommodated by IPAS as of 20 February.

Intensive efforts are being undertaken daily by staff in DCEDIY to source emergency accommodation. However, procuring enough bed space to keep pace with incoming arrivals remains extremely challenging, leading to very significant shortages.