Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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814. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the criteria and processes being used to assess a proposed IPAS centre (details supplied); if an impact assessment has been conducted to evaluate the effects of establishing another IPAS centre in County Wicklow, noting that the county has approximately 1,600 IPAS residents to date; when the findings of this evaluation can be expected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16902/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you for your question, Deputy. A response will be provided directly to you in the coming days.

Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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815. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of IPAS centres approved in counties Wicklow and Wexford, by year, for the past five years; the number of applicants who have resided, or are residing there; if her Department has done an assessment on the impact of establishing IPAS centres in these counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16903/25]

Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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818. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the total number of IPAS centres located in counties Wexford and Wicklow; the number of IPAS centres located in an area of deprivation according to Pobal, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16945/25]

Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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819. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the level of communication his Department has with communities in relation to proposed IPAS centres prior to granting permission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16946/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 815, 818 and 819 together.

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) currently provides accommodation to approximately 33,000 people at over 320 sites nationwide.

The State is making every effort to accommodate asylum seekers against a backdrop of unprecedented demand from 2022 to 2024, with our system growing by over 400% in capacity in that period.

As of 23rd March 2025, there are 1,466 people who are International Protection (IP) applicants residing in 11 properties in County Wicklow, and of these, 453 are children with their families.

There are 588 people who are IP applicants residing in 6 properties in County Wexford, and of these, 194 are children with their families.

The Department does not collate information on occupancy by county, property and year, so I regret that a 5 year retrospective on these figures is not readily available. However, since the end of 2021, there has been a steady and significant increase in the numbers of international protection applications in Ireland and in other EU Member states.

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) releases weekly statistics in relation to international protection (IP) applicants. This includes a per county breakdown of where IP applicants are residing and a wide range of other details. These statistics are located on the Gov.ie website: www.gov.ie/en/publication/07027-ipas-statistics/.

Since 2024, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) has not published details of the specific locations of our accommodation centres. This is due to both safety and security concerns, and to protect the privacy of international protection applicants in line with legal obligations under the International Protection Act 2015.

My Department continues to develop and source accommodation for people seeking international protection in locations all over the country, as part of implementing the Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy for international protection.

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.

It is hoped that the degree of control given to the State by the creation of core supply of State-owned accommodation, of both emergency and permanent options, will increase as supply is delivered, re-establishing strategic direction over the accommodation type, location and dispersal pattern.

I trust this information is helpful.