Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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534. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the use by his Department of Ryevale House, Leixlip, County Kildare; and the recent planning enforcement from Kildare County Council with respect to his Department's use of this building. [21166/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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As the Deputy is aware, last year, over 15,000 people arrived in Ireland seeking accommodation while their applications for international protection are processed by the International Protection Office (IPO). In the first seventeen weeks of 2023, almost 3,300 people have arrived seeking protection.

In addition, the Department has had to re-accommodate over 2,500 people in situations where hotel and short term emergency locations have ended in 2023. As at 8 May, there are 557 international protection applicants who have not been accommodated by IPAS, many of whom have no accommodation at all.

In this severely pressurised context, the Department has been informed that the provider for the property in question has requested an application for a Declaration pursuant to section 5 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, as amended, concerning the proposed use of Ryevale House, Ryevale Lawns, Leixlip, Co. Kildare, as private accommodation for persons seeking international protection, and certain limited internal works carried out to update and maintain the property.

The Department has yet to receive details on planning enforcement from Kildare County Council with respect to the use of the building.

Pending the outcome of these matters, the Department has decided to utilise the facility such is the pressure on the State accommodation system currently. In light of the very real and immediate pressure, it was decided that the property must be used immediately to accommodate 80 female International Protection applicants. IPAS began to move in the new residents on Friday 31 March.

While the Department notes the concerns of local residents regarding the use of the property, the Department must avail of all accommodation offers made to it in order to meet the basic needs of applicants, to comply with Ireland’s obligations under national and EU law and to prevent homelessness in as far as it can.