Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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1902.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount his Department has spent each year since 2020 on housing international protection applicants, broken down into modular homes, direct provision centres privately operated, hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and State-owned accommodation, in tabular form. [32912/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Department of Integration does not collate the information in the manner requested by the Deputy. However, the commercial accommodation costs outlined below include the cost for modular homes, direct provision centres privately operated, hotels and bed-and-breakfasts.

The Department does not provide a further breakdown of these costs at this time.

Please see, in tabular format, the costs for Commercial Accommodation and State Owned Accommodation for the years 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 as of 30th June respectively.

Currently, there are over 31,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole (of whom 8,112 are children) compared with approximately 8,700 people at the end of February 2022.

The Department of Integration has increased IPAS capacity by more than 400% since 2020, from just under 7,000 people on 31 December 2020 to presently more than 31,000.

The Government is committed to supporting all those seeking IP in Ireland and is considering all offers of accommodation. The Department is currently availing of suitable offers for such as repurposed office buildings, decommissioned Defence Forces barracks and tents to try to address shortfalls in reception capacity.

The Government has agreed a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy (CAS) for people seeking IP. This aims to address the current serious shortfall in accommodation for people seeking IP and to build a more sustainable system for the longer term. Accommodation in the new strategy will be delivered through the use of State land for prefabricated and modular units, conversion of commercial buildings, and targeted purchasing of turnkey properties. It will also involve design and build of new Reception and Integration Centres and upgrading of IPAS Centres.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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1903.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the amount his Department has spent each year since 2020 on housing Ukrainian asylum seekers, broken down into modular homes, direct provision centres privately operated, hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, State-owned accommodation, the rent-a-room scheme and renting a private house, in tabular form. [32913/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department's invoicing system does not categorise by commercial accommodation type (for example by breaking down by B&Bs, hotel, hostel etc.). The below table outlines the expenditure on Commercial Accommodation, Local Authority Emergency Accommodation and expenditure on Rapid Build Modular Housing between 2023 and 2024 (as of 17/07/2024).

Expenditure in 2022 was not captured in the same format as for 2023 and 2024. Instead all expenditure on the provision of accommodation to Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection by my Department came under the same heading ‘Accommodation and Other costs’. The total spent in 2022 on this was €515,781,870.02.

The Deputy has clarified that his request relates to costs of supporting Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022. My Department has no role in the 'Rent a Room Scheme' and does not procure or contract private houses and apartments for a variety of reasons including impact on the private residential sector.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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1904.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of international protection applicants who have been granted permission to remain that are currently residing in direct provision facilities. [32925/24]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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1905.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to ensure people with the benefit of permission to remain are supported to independent living. [32926/24]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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1906.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of people with permission to remain status that are in employment or full-time education. [32927/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1904 to 1906, inclusive, together.

The Department of Integration and the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) have responsibility for the provision of accommodation to people seeking international protection (IP). Labour Market Access applications for those seeking IP are made through the Department of Justice. The data requested in relation to employment is not collated by the Department of Integration.

The Department is currently providing accommodation to over 31,000 people, of whom 5,323 had been granted permission to remain in Ireland as of the end of 10 July 2024 and, as such, are no longer in the IP process. At the same time, there is currently an ongoing shortfall of accommodation for newly arrived people applying for IP.

Where a person progresses through the application and review process, and receives a grant of status or permission to remain in Ireland, their status in terms of access to housing becomes the same as other people living in Ireland and Irish citizens. In these circumstances however, the Department and the IPAS team is aware of the challenges in housing availability across the population and has continued to provide accommodation until residents are in a position to source accommodation independently.

All those with IP/Permission to Remain are written to once status has been granted and are advised that given their progress through the IP process, they will need to seek alternative accommodation. They are supported to register with a Local Authority and, if required, avail of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to secure alternative accommodation.

Given the change in legal status, IPAS works with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to support people in securing alternative accommodation. A specific Transition team works in collaboration with Depaul Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust, and Local Authorities to support residents with status to move on from IPAS accommodation.

Where a person cannot secure independent accommodation by the defined date, IPAS will provide temporary, emergency accommodation. Acknowledging the ongoing increases in people arriving into Ireland seeking international protection, and the shortfall in accommodation for new arrivals, the Department will continue to work to support all those using our services.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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1907.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the assessment that was carried out, and by whom, to determine the unsuitability of the existing buildings at Columb Barracks, Mullingar; and the reason the buildings which housed army personnel a decade ago are deemed unsuitable. [32930/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Department of Integration is currently working, in co-operation with the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces, to use Columb Barracks for temporary refugee accommodation purposes.

In response to the growing accommodation crisis, there was an urgent need to make immediate provisions on State-owned sites. As part of a government wide response, the Department of Defence licenced part of the grounds of Columb Barracks to the Department of Integration to accommodate both beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs) and people seeking international protection (IP). This includes a limited number of the buildings which are being used for other ancillary uses. The remaining buildings are not in the licenced area for the department some of which are in use by local community groups.

As of 14 July, there are more than 31,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole (of whom 8,112 are children) compared with approximately 8,700 people at the end of February 2022.

The Department of Integration has increased IPAS capacity by more than 400% since 2020, from just under 7,000 people on 31 December 2020 to presently more than 31,000.

The Government is committed to supporting all those seeking IP in Ireland and is considering all offers of accommodation. The Department is currently availing of suitable offers for such as repurposed office buildings, decommissioned Defence Forces barracks and tents to try to address shortfalls in reception capacity.

The Government has agreed a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy (CAS) for people seeking IP. This aims to address the current serious shortfall in accommodation for people seeking IP and to build a more sustainable system for the longer term. Accommodation in the new strategy will be delivered through the use of State land for prefabricated and modular units, conversion of commercial buildings, and targeted purchasing of turnkey properties. It will also involve design and build of new Reception and Integration Centres and upgrading of IPAS Centres.