Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1365. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of all contracts to businesses and individuals who hold contracts to house both refugees and international protection applicants, by location (nearest town and village), the cost of contract, name of business or individuals, over the years 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37337/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Contractual arrangements for the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres are deemed confidential and commercially sensitive. It would not serve the public interest to divulge location lists of property providers or contracts held to contractors for services, as it could prejudice the Department's negotiating position to deliver value for money with respect to other accommodation providers and locations.

IPAS is currently engaged with over 220 providers across 26 counties. As at 28th August 2023, there are 23,194 international protection applicants (IPAs) accommodated in the IPAS system as a whole. Please see, in tabular format, the occupancy per county. It should also be noted that new arrivals requiring accommodation will impact these numbers.

I trust this information clarifies the matter.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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1366. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what steps are being taken to ensure that all persons in tents on Mount Street outside the International Protection Office have been provided with alternative sheltered accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37338/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) officials and staff from the Jesuit Refugee Service visited all tents outside of the International Protection Office, Mount Street, on the 16th June 2023.

The purpose of this visit was to ensure all persons who have applied for international protection in Ireland and who were staying temporarily in the tents were informed of the offer of accommodation available to them at the City West transit hub.

All people who availed of the offer of accommodation at that time were offered transport to City West campus via minibus.

There were 66 tents on Mount Street on Friday 16th June. Many appeared unused but some were securely locked. An information note, translated into French, Arabic and Georgian, was left at each tent. The note advised the occupant that DCEDIY IPAS officials had visited and how to contact IPAS for accommodation.

IPAS visited the site on a second occasion in the company of DCC and Dublin Simon Outreach team. Further offers of accommodation were made to persons eligible for IPAS accommodation at the location, and transport was arranged for any person who accepted the offer of accommodation.

The Department continues to engage with accommodation providers to bring more accommodation into use for international protection applicants (IPAs) and had accommodated all IPAs who were previously without any accommodation offer - a total of more than 1,540 IPAs. All IPAs who have arrived in Ireland and sought accommodation are currently accommodated within IPAS accommodation.