Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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264. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide the full total spend by his Department to accommodate International Protection Applicants for 2023 alone (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13394/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The total spend for International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation at year end 2023, was €640,064,470, with 26,279 residents accommodated at 31 December 2023.

The cost includes all accommodation and related costs, including transport, facilities management and other related expenditure. The average cost of accommodating an IP applicant in IPAS accommodation is currently €76.80 per night.

In relation to service providers contracted by IPAS to provide accommodation services to International Protection (IP) applicants, the Department publishes reports on all payments over €20,000. These are published, once per quarter, on gov.ie.

(www.gov.ie/en/collection/dfdadb-department-of-children-and-youth-affairs-purchase-orders-for-20000-o/#2022).

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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On Saturday 16^th March, the Department offered alternative shelter to all International Protection (IP) applicants camped at Mount Street. All those who accepted the offer were provided with tented accommodation at a site in Crooksling.

The site at Mount Street was cleared over the weekend in cooperation with Dublin City Council due to the emerging public health and security risks.

International protection applicants at Crooksling have access to has clean toilets and showers, health services, indoor areas where food is provided, facilities to charge phones and personal devices, access to public transport to and from Dublin City Centre and 24 hour onsite security.

More broadly, the situation in relation to accommodation remains very challenging. The supply of available accommodation is severely diminished. What accommodation can be opened at this point is primarily being utilised for families in order to avoid women and children becoming homeless. Since January, approximately 2,400 beds have been brought into use for those seeking accommodation.

Drop-in day services remain available 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.

The Department has arrangements in place for the provision of these services with Mendicity, Crosscare, Capuchin Day Centre and Tiglin at the Lighthouse. The Department is in also in regular contact with the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive, the Dublin Simon Community, Streetlink Homeless Support Outreach service and others, particularly with regard identification of particularly vulnerable individuals.