Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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917. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the 2023 emergency accommodation contracts will be issued to property owners; the duration of the contacts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12815/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Ireland has responded to the largest displacement of people on the European continent since the Second World War. Since February 2022, my Department has worked to accommodate an unprecedented volume of persons seeking refuge following the invasion of Ukraine with over 77,000 people arriving in Ireland, of which over 57,000, have sought accommodation from this Department.

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 43,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 720 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.

My Department will continue to work with accommodation providers to ensure there is an adequate supply of accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection fleeing the war in Ukraine. In this regard, my Department is negotiating to renew contracts with our existing providers, in chronological order of the expiry dates of their current contract. Duration of new contracts is part of the negotiation process.

I trust this information is of assistance.