Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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962. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the nature of accommodation for asylum seekers, Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection and residents in direct provision in terms of previous usage, hospitality, nursing homes, State buildings, and so on, in the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; to provide a breakdown of the number of these that rely on a planning exemption; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2664/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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963. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the average cost of accommodating international protection applicants, residents in direct provision and Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection, and the highest rate across all of these location types in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [2669/25]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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964. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the average cost of accommodating international protection applicants, residents in direct provision and Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection, and the highest rate across all of these location types in 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2670/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 963 and 964 together.

Since 2021, there has been a sudden and sustained increase in numbers of people applying for International Protection in Ireland, and in other EU Member States.

This increase happened at the same time as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the EU Temporary Protection Directive, which saw over 113,000 people from Ukraine come to live in Ireland. Amid a basic shortage of accommodation across society, these changes have placed profound and sustained pressure on the Department’s work to source viable accommodation for new arrivals over the last two years.

Ireland has seen a sharp increase in the number of people applying for international protection since 2022 and our Department now provides accommodation for almost 33,000 international protection applicants today, about 9,000 of whom are children with their families. It should be noted that there are a number of Programme for Government commitments in respect of Ireland’s migration and integration system, including in moving away from the use of hotel and other similar accommodation.

Providing reception conditions – accommodation and other basic supports – to people seeking international protection is part of Irish and EU law and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their home country.

The average cost of accommodating a person in international protection accommodation centres, including State-owned and commercial, is set out in the table below. This includes all accommodation and ancillary costs such as facilities management and other related expenditure. The average cost per night fluctuates due to changes in the number of residents and accommodation centres. The information in not available per county as sought by the Deputy.

We continue to work hard to find, develop and open suitable accommodation sites, so that we can offer appropriate and safe accommodation to all people applying for international protection.

The table below sets out the approximate average costs for full board and self-catering accommodations contracted by my Department for accommodating beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTP) fleeing the war in Ukraine. The information in not available per county as sought by the Deputy.

The highest rate paid by the Department is €133 for Ukraine accommodation, on the basis of full board per person per night.

Regulations behind the provision of reception conditions to IP applicants, and supports to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, are different, and call for different levels of supports and services.

Directive 2013/33/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 lays down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection. Under the directive, material reception conditions ensure that applicants have access to housing, food, clothing, personal hygiene products.

International protection applicants residing in an accommodation centre receive €38.80 per week for an adult and €29.80 per week for a child. In contrast, BOTPs may be resident in self-catering centres where food is not provided, but they are entitled to standard social protection assistance, including Child Benefit and the Working Family Payment.

This means that contracts for accommodation for the two groups differ, as IP accommodation providers provide additional services and provisions to meet people's needs.

I trust this information is helpful.