Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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1502.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for details of his extensive engagement with the local community and public representatives regarding the development of a site (details supplied) for international protection applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35560/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is progressing works for the accommodation centre, for people applying for International Protection, at Thornton Hall.

Works began at the site on 14 August 2024 and the Department hopes to begin accommodating an initial 40 people on site this month.

Phase 2 will accommodate approximately 440 people. The Department hopes to accommodate this group on site in phases, during October and November this year. The long-term goal is to deliver robust, high-performance tents, that will allow up to 1,000 people to be accommodated on site. Tented accommodation is viewed as a short-term solution, allowing the Department time to source alternatives, including modular units.

As part of planning sites like this, the Department works closely with local and other Government agencies for a co-ordinated approach to services like transport, health and education. As plans progress and the Department moves closer to accommodating the full cohort of residents, more information on support services will be finalised.

The Community Engagement Team (CET) has been meeting and providing information to local representatives and local groups since May 2024. Most recently, the team briefed local elected representatives on 8 August, attended a series of meetings with local and national elected representatives during the week of the 12 August, met with the Fingal Community Integration Forum on 28 August and with the Meath Community Integration Forum on September 4th.

A range of queries from local representatives are being followed up by our team. Topics of interest include transport plans for when the site is operational, activity and education services, health and wellbeing, and security. Since the planning and design of the site is actively being progressed, and the site is not yet fully operational, some of these queries are still being followed up. As information is agreed and finalised, it will be shared with all relevant stakeholders.

A Department has set up a web page on gov.ie, which aims to keep the local community informed. This information can be accessed at:www.gov.ie/communityengagement. This page is updated regularly as accurate information has been finalised and can be shared with both local representatives and communities.

Press advertisements have been placed in the Northside People and Meath Chronicle, and on Google Search, to direct queries to the Gov.ie website. The CET will also provide a regular email update to groups in the area, to let people know of any progress on this process.

The Department will continue to engage with a range of local groups and representatives to provide information and updates on progress.

Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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1503.To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of IPA applicants being accommodated by his Department, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter.[35561/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Currently, there are over 32,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole.

Details by county of the numbers of people applying for International Protection who are being accommodated by the Department, is provided on a weekly basis on the gov.ie website.

You'll find this information in its most up to date form at this link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/07027-ipas-statistics/