Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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420. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth how he intends to respond to the recent High Court ruling declaring that the State's failure to meet the basic needs of international protection applicants experiencing homelessness is a breach of the Charter of Fundamental Rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38179/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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This matter remains before the Court, and as such, My Department is precluded from commenting further on this matter.

That been said, Government is making every effort to accommodate asylum seekers against a backdrop of unprecedented demand. However, the situation remains challenging, and the Department cannot provide accommodation to all IP applicants at this time.

Due to a number of well-documented factors, the Department has not been in a position to offer International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation to every adult male seeking IP since 4 December 2023.

A triage process is in place for those who are vulnerable, and an enhanced expense allowance is available to those who have not been provided with accommodation. The Department has grant agreements in place with four homeless charities in Dublin to provide hot meals, showers, places to charge devices and rest. In addition to the extension of day services, the Department has partnered with a homeless charity to conduct outreach to identified locations where applicants are rough sleeping When available, the Department makes offers of accommodation to eligible persons identified through this outreach. Over 1,500 offers of accommodation have been made to unaccommodated rough-sleepers referrals in the last 6 months.

The Government is committed to supporting all those seeking IP in Ireland and work is ongoing across the country to bring available accommodation into use to support our residents. The Department has increased IPAS capacity by more than 400% since 2020, from just under 7,000 people on 31 December 2020. Currently, there are over 32,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole.

This work is underpinned by the Government's 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. This will be supplemented, as required, by high standard commercial providers.