Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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666. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of IPAS centres approved in each Gaeltacht, by year for past five years, and by Gaeltacht area; the number of applicants who have resided, or are residing there; and if the Department has done an assessment on the impact on the unique linguistic and cultural identity of those areas. [15636/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you for your question, Deputy.

Ireland currently provides accommodation to approximately 33,000 people applying for international protection and has also welcomed over 114,000 people from Ukraine since 2022. Our accommodation systems for both groups have been forced to expand at a rapid pace over the last two years in response to a sharp increase in need among both groups.

As such, the data requested is not collated by my Department for publication, and an assessment of the impact of international protection accommodation procurement on the unique linguistic and cultural identity of Gaeltacht areas has not been carried out.

Emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country, and intensive efforts were made, as part of a whole of Government response, to ensure people in need were provided with shelter and support. In addition to the Ukraine response, the increase in applications for international protection places a legal duty on the State to accommodate the additional applicants.

Huge efforts are underway to source and bring into use suitable longer-term international protection accommodation facilities, in line with the Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy.

Since March 2024, this Government-approved strategy for international protection accommodation has been in implementation. Accommodation is being developed and delivered through a range of channels.

These include the use of State-owned land for emergency tented, prefabricated and modular units, conversion of commercial buildings, and targeted purchasing of turnkey properties. They will also include the design and building of new Reception and Integration Centres and upgrading of IPAS Centres. This will be supplemented, as required, by high standard commercial providers.

Over the last 2 years, against the backdrop of unique events in Ukraine, increased need, and the acute shortages of accommodation, it has not been possible for my Department to apply specific policies in relation to distribution of accommodation centres.

However, it is a direction which we wish to move toward, as we work toward a more stable and sustainable accommodation system in this sector.

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) releases weekly statistics in relation to people seeking international protection (IP), including a per-county breakdown of where IP applicants are residing. These statistics are located on the gov.ie website:

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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667. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth pursuant to statements by the current Tánaiste that the last hotel in a town or village will not be used to accommodate asylum seekers or refugees, the number of these currently being used for this purpose; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15637/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you for your question, Deputy.

Ireland currently provides accommodation to approximately 33,000 people applying for international protection and has also welcomed over 114,000 people from Ukraine since 2022. Our accommodation systems have been forced to expand at a rapid pace over the last two years in response to a sharp increase in need among both groups.

The over 114,000 people who arrived from Ukraine, and a significant increase since 2022 in applications for international protection, have come at a time when accommodation in Ireland is in short supply across all dimensions.

IPAS provides accommodation at over 320 centres nationwide, and while many are former hotels or guesthouses, my Department does not routinely collate detailed or comprehensive information on the former use of our accommodation centres.

Emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country, and intensive efforts have been made, as part of a whole of Government response, to ensure people in need were provided with shelter and support. Over the last 2 years, against this backdrop of unique events in Ukraine, increased need, and the acute shortages of accommodation, it has not been possible for my Department to apply many specific policies in relation to distribution of accommodation centres.

The agreement to not contract IPAS accommodation in a given town’s only operating hotel was accepted by Government during this period of intense need, and was agreed to on the basis of not removing an important current amenity from public use. This was based on not accepting a new contract that would take a town’s last hotel out of public use for events, holiday or business stays, and day to day use by the town for food, socialising or leisure. While data is not collated formally, this agreement has been widely adhered to on the basis outlined above over the last year or more.

Our Department is working hard toward developing a more stable and sustainable accommodation system in this sector. Huge efforts are underway to source and bring into use suitable longer-term international protection accommodation facilities, in line with the Government’s Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy.

This should allow growth of the tourism sector in the areas concerned, with an acknowledgment of the contribution made by these areas and providers to support the historic humanitarian and State response to people fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Since March 2024, this Government-approved strategy for international protection accommodation has been in implementation. This involves the use of State-owned land for emergency tented, prefabricated and modular units, conversion of commercial buildings, and targeted purchasing of turnkey properties.

As developing these more sustainable state-owned accommodation system options under this strategy will take time, the commissioning of emergency commercial accommodation will continue to be a feature in the short to medium term. However, this accommodation will be contracted on a shorter-term basis and if numbers drop can be decommissioned as contracts expire.

I trust this information is helpful.