Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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104. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the transfer of residents from a direct provision centre in Cork (details supplied); the engagement his Department has had with residents; if the decision to transfer people will be reviewed considering many include school-going children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55286/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Ireland is currently accommodating approximately 100,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants. This includes nearly 74,000 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the State and 26,000 International Protection applicants currently in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation.

Unfortunately, despite the tireless efforts of my Department, all of the limited accommodation capacity within the IPAS system is currently being used, and there is an accommodation shortfall, particularly with respect to adult males.

The Centre mentioned is being used to accommodate families in the International Protection (IP) system under an emergency contract. The operators of this centre have successfully completed a tender process with the Department for the provision of accommodation, with this centre is now been utilised in line with the terms of the new contract.

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is currently in the process of relocating families at this address to alternative suitable accommodation in order to meet the terms of this new contract. This is expected to be completed in the coming months.

The families in question are a mix of current IP applicants, as well as families who have acquired status and are no longer entitled to IP accommodation. Notwithstanding their status, IPAS are making alternative accommodation arrangements. In the case of families with status, this includes working with established integration teams to identify all possible avenues of support.

IPAS makes every possible effort to minimise the disruption created for families taking into account of any identified vulnerabilities in doing so. To date IPAS has taken account of and resolved a number of specific issues raised by the families that are due to move. However, options are constrained overall by the severe pressures on IP accommodation availability.