Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity)
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131. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department has a policy of offering alternative accommodation to those who have a right to reside in the State after having been through the international protection process but are still living in the direct provision system that is far from their current residence (details supplied); if he will ensure that offers of alternative accommodation to those cohorts are in the locality of the direct provision centre; if he will ensure that a refusal of accommodation in an area that is far from their current residence will not result in the loss of access to homeless services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31547/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, the Department is responding to the largest increase in the number of people seeking refuge in the State's history. Approximately 7,500 such individuals were provided with accommodation and supports towards the end of 2021. Today that figure is closer to 90,000, including all international protection applicants and those fleeing Ukraine, in both State provided and private pledged accommodation.

The Deputy will also recall that, despite intensive and exhaustive efforts on the part of Department officials, for some time this year the State was in a position of not being able to offer accommodation immediately to all new arrivals.

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) currently accommodates over 5,200 people that have been granted status (Refugee/Subsidiary Protection/Leave to Remain). As those with status have had their application for International Protection determined they are no longer considered applicants and therefore no longer entitled to Material Reception Conditions.

Due to the unprecedented and acute pressure on available IPAS accommodation it is not always possible to transfer those with Status the greatest length of time to emergency accommodation close to where they currently reside.

Those with "status" the greatest length of time are being offered a transfer to alternative emergency accommodation so that those currently still in the International Protection process can be accommodated in our Accommodation Centres where they can receive supports. Those currently being offered this transfer have had their status for at least 18 months.

A dedicated IPAS unit works intensively with funded organisations like the Peter McVerry Trust and DePaul to assist people who have been granted international protection or permission to remain in their efforts to move into housing within the community. IPAS write to all persons in IPAS accommodation once granted status and notify them of their support workers contact details from either PMVT or Depaul.

Since 2020 over 2,800 people have progressed into the community from IPAS accommodation.