Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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454. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown, in tabular form, of the number of private residential properties currently rented by IPAS in each county; the rental cost for each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20456/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The data requested by the Deputy is not available. The Department does not rent accommodation, but enters into a contract to provide accommodation related services for International Protection Applicants. Payment information is not collated by accommodation type in the manner outlined by the Deputy.

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/)

Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
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455. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to correspondence received by his office (details supplied), if he agrees that arrangements must be put in place to help these vulnerable people; if he will ensure that measures are put in place to house asylum-seekers from Palestine (West Bank and Gaza) in appropriate accommodation; and if a person can be accommodated in Blackrock House. [20488/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) cannot comment on individual cases.

The State has a legal obligation to assess the claims of those who seek International Protection (IP), and in that time, to provide accommodation and supports in line with the Recast Reception Conditions Directive (transposed under SI 230 of 2018, or the "Reception Conditions Regulations"), to those that require it.

There are currently over 29,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole (of whom nearly 7,000 are children) compared with approximately 8,700 people at the end of February 2022. Together with Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection displaced by the war in Ukraine, this means that Ireland is now accommodating over 100,000 people in state-supported accommodation.

Since January 2022, the Department has brought over 200 properties into use to accommodate those who arrive in Ireland seeking International Protection.

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 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. As of 1st May, over 2,500 adult males have presented and been given this payment by IPAS.

On 27 March 2024, I announced a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy for IP applicants. The strategy seeks to address the current accommodation shortfall, while reforming the system over the longer term to ensure the State will always be able to meet its international commitments. The reforms will see a move away from full reliance on private providers and towards a core of State-owned accommodation, delivering 14,000 State-owned beds by 2028.