Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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536. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the practice in place to ensure that homeless international protection applicants have access to the daily expenses allowance and other material resources; his further views on the practice in place to ensure that international protection applicants resident at Citywest transit hub are paid the daily expense allowance; if these practices were introduced recently; if so, his views on the practices in place prior to these systems’ introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15423/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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As at 19 March 2023, there are 20,190 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole, compared with 10,000 at this time last year.

The response to the ongoing migration crisis has entered an extremely difficult phase; with no apparent accommodation for International protection applicants (IPAs) at scale available into the short term to medium term.

Since the paused entry into Citywest on 24th January, 379 people remain un-accommodated by IPAS with 322 people who were originally un-accommodated have subsequently been accommodated.

IPAS does not make a decision to not provide accommodation to an IPA, it is in the absence of an alternative, that IPAS is not in a position to provide accommodation.

The Government is aware of it’s obligations to provide material reception conditions to international protection applicants under the EU Recast Reception Conditions Directive (SI 230 of 2018).

Material reception conditions include accommodation, 3 meals per day, utilities, a full medical card and the Daily Expenses Allowance (DEA) which is €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child.

The DEA is paid to persons who are accommodated in designated International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation and those in Citywest transit hub are currently paid that allowance.

My Department has recently liaised with the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to ensure arrangements for the payment of the DEA, to IPAs who are currently without IPAS accommodation.

DSP are finalising the necessary arrangements to facilitate this request and it is envisaged that the payments will begin this week. DSP have confirmed that payments will be backdated for the period from when individuals arrived in Ireland to date.

If a person is not in IPAS accommodation but indicates they have a need for financial support when they attend at an Intreo Centre currently, they can apply for an additional needs payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.

Those who are not accommodated are also offered food vouchers to the value of €50 and given contact details for the Capuchin Day Centre.

Since January 2022 more than 100 emergency accommodation locations have been opened in 17 counties nationwide, over 2,300 bed spaces have been brought online since 1^stof December 2022.

Department officials continue to work tirelessly to source additional emergency accommodation to provide shelter and prevent homelessness.