Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1830. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to advise what will happen to residents (details supplied) once their time is up; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19208/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Our Department has a duty to provide accommodation for people who are in the international protection application process and are therefore entitled to reception conditions under EU regulations.

Our system has been forced to expand dramatically in the last two years, from accommodating 7,000 people at the end of 2021, to now accommodating over 33,000 people.

Despite this growth in our system, the IPAS accommodation system remains under pressure, with people applying and arriving on a daily and weekly basis. As a result of this pressure, over 3,100 male applicants have not been offered any accommodation since early 2024.

When a person completes their international protection application and gets a positive decision, they have status that allows them to remain in Ireland. This also means they gain access to the full range of housing supports available to all Irish residents, which are not available to people who are going through the application process. About 5,200 people in IPAS accommodation, of the total of 33,000 people, have status or permission to remain.

All those with International Protection or Permission to Remain are written to once status has been granted and are advised they must now seek alternative accommodation. They are also advised that there are supports available to them in securing new accommodation options.

The Department is very mindful of the challenges that exist for people in trying to move on from the international protection system due to the significant pressure on housing availability within the private rental sector, social housing and housing market across Ireland.

The Department does not remove people with status from IPAS accommodation, even though there is no formal legal entitlement to provide people with status with accommodation. It is the case, where people are not able to source their own private accommodation solution, that an offer of emergency accommodation will be made, and this may be in an alternative IPAS location. While IPAS makes every effort to offer people accommodation in the same area, this is not always possible due to overall need, and the duty to make accommodation available to newly arrived applicants.

IPAS has a specific Transition team who work in collaboration with Depaul Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Local Authorities to support residents with status to exit IPAS accommodation and access other housing options.

Those with status have the same housing entitlements as Irish Citizens and are supported to register with a Local Authority and, if required, to avail of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to secure alternative accommodation. In addition, those with status have the same social welfare entitlements as Irish Citizens.

This overall policy is in place to help ensure accommodation in non-emergency settings is available to newly arrived people seeking International Protection who have an entitlement to accommodation under EU and Irish law and who do not have any access to standard social welfare or housing supports.