Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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532. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of reports of International Protection Accommodation Services staff warning those in receipt of a deportation order or those about to receive a deportation order of Garda activity relating to the enforcement of such orders; the measures he is taking to ensure this practice is ended or appropriately sanctioned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40968/24]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) works closely with the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána (AGS) to support the removal of those with deportation orders from the State.

In addition, all contracted IPAS accommodation centre management and staff are made fully aware by IPAS officials and Department staff of their obligations to cooperate with the Garda National Bureau of Immigration, and have been active in doing so.

There are over 32,000 people currently in IPAS accommodation, in over 300 centres all over Ireland. People who are accommodated by IPAS are either going through the application process for International Protection (IP), or have concluded it.

Under our current regulations, IP applicants are not obliged to live in IPAS accommodation. They may source accommodation themselves if they choose. In addition, people who are resident in IPAS accommodation are free to move around the State and are not detained or restricted in their movements by IPAS house rules.

There are close working arrangements between IPAS, the Department of Justice and AGS, with regular co-ordination on all issues related to application decisions and security matters.

IP applicants who receive a final negative decision are no longer entitled to reception conditions including accommodation, and are notified by letter of the decision. It is the experience of IPAS that they usually make the decision to move on from our accommodation of their own volition.

More detailed information in relation to application decisions, deportation orders and follow-up on security issues would be available from the Department of Justice or the Garda National Bureau of Immigration.