Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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1457. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the status of an application (details supplied); when the applicant will receive a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38864/23]

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 intensively as part of the cross-government humanitarian response to assist over 92,000 arrivals fleeing the war in Ukraine that have been granted temporary protection, approximately 80% of whom have sought accommodation from this 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 49,000 beds to accommodate Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) in more than 800 settings including hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, hostels, commercial self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.

With regard to the offer to which the Deputy refers, I am advised that one of my officials will directly contact your constituent in the coming weeks to discuss potential next steps.

My Department continues to assess and review all accommodation offers received on an ongoing basis as to their suitability to meet the needs of BOTPs.

Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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1458. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his Department has advanced proposals to have floating accommodation for Ukrainian refugees and/or those seeking international protection; if he will provide details on when the tender process for this will open; and where these centres are intended for. [38882/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Department has received a number of offers of ‘floating accommodation’ in recent times. Consideration of such proposals comes in the wake of an unprecedented accommodation crisis.

Following detailed investigation and analysis of its use, and in consultation with various stakeholders including the Maritime Unit in the Department of Transport, my Department is still exploring the possibility of publishing a Request For Tender (RFT) on eTenders, seeking flotel accommodation for international protection applicants (IPAs).

However, as my Department is still in an exploratory phase and as there are legal and regulatory issues to be addressed, there are currently no time lines on any potential publication.

The Ukraine Accommodation Procurement team are not considering floating accommodation at this time.