Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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595. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department has any intention of housing refugees in a location (details supplied); if he will engage with the local community on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25746/23]

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 extensively to accommodate over 83,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine, of which 61,000 have sought accommodation from my 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 47,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BoTPs) in more than 770 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.

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

I am advised by my officials that works are ongoing in respect of the property referred to and that my Department is reviewing this property with a view to accommodating beneficiaries of temporary protection (BoTPs) in due course. The Department is informing local elected representatives where emergency accommodation is to be located. However, the speed at which the Department must move inevitably means we don't always have the opportunity to do as much advance work and engagement with local representatives and the community as we would ideally like.

The Department of An Taoiseach is also developing a communications strategy and campaign that will assist with the provision of information to communities on new centres.