Written answers
Thursday, 29 February 2024
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Emergency Accommodation
Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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277. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to the significant number of asylum seekers who are forced into homelessness with no other option but rough sleeping after arriving in Ireland, if he has considered using alternative existing buildings (details supplied) that could be used as temporary accommodation instead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9888/24]
Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Minister sought the support of his Government colleagues in responding to Ireland’s humanitarian response to support those arriving in Ireland seeking protection.
This site is owned and controlled by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces. Should an offer to utilise buildings at this or any other state owned site be made, the Minister would be open to considering it.
The Department is currently accommodating over 100,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants. This includes over 75,000 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the State and nearly 27,500 IP applicants currently in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation.
Department officials are working to bring more bed spaces into use. For context, at the end of January 2022, IPAS had 8,300 bed spaces in use; it now has approximately 27,000 beds in use. The Department is presently utilising a wide range of accommodation options to provide shelter to record numbers of IP applicants, over 200 accommodation locations utilised since January 2022 across 26 counties.
Despite intensive efforts to source emergency accommodation, the Department is currently providing contingency material reception conditions in the form of an expense allowance of €113.80 per week to some International Protection (IP) applicants due to the severe shortage of accommodation. This is an increase of €75 per week from the standard expenses allowance of €38.80 for IP applicants in accommodation.
In addition to this increase in the increased expense allowance, a system of triage of adult males is being implemented to ensure that those who are most vulnerable are prioritised for the provision of accommodation.
Drop-in day services are provided to all non-accommodated persons who wish to avail of them. In such centres, IP applicants can access facilities including hot showers, meals and laundry services seven days a week. They also provide tents and sleeping bags, where required. Currently the Department has agreements with two charities to provide these services in Dublin.
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