Gillian Toole (Meath East, Independent)
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1052. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the exact process of site selection for International Protection Accommodation Service centres; are local authorities using commercial rates information and approaching owners; if owners are being introduced by public representatives; the community infrastructure audit requirements that are to be submitted with prospective applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30429/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The State is currently accommodating almost 33,000 people who have applied for international protection (IP) in Ireland, about 9,500 of whom are children with their families. The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) provides accommodation in over 320 centres around the country.

These centres are a mix of State-owned sites, long-term centres, and emergency accommodation contracted commercially. While work is ongoing to develop more State-owned accommodation options in this sector, at the moment over 90% of IPAS accommodation is commercially provided.

The contracting of properties as emergency centres became necessary as numbers of international protection applications surged from 2022 to 2024. However, the Department is dependent on the receipt of offers from external commercial providers, and does not predetermine their geographical location.

All offers of international protection accommodation are reviewed by the Department under a standardised appraisal procedure. Factors in the appraisal of international protection accommodation include the site and its potential, the value for money it offers, planning matters and any works required to meet the required standards.

Consideration is also given to the location and locality, access to services, resident welfare, health and wellbeing, and the current level of need in the sector.

Part of the appraisal process for a new contract includes review of the property’s services and planning compliance, and this done in conjunction with the Local Authority where relevant.

It should be noted that an application from a prospective provider to the Local Authority for confirmation of a planning exemption, referred to as a Section 5 application, does not mean that a decision has been made by the Department to use a property as international protection accommodation.

The Section 5 process refers to an application under the Planning and Development Act 2000 for change of use of that property for a new purpose, including as accommodation for international protection applicants.

This is often required by the external provider to confirm that the property can be offered and appraised. Such applications often occur before the Department has commenced a detailed appraisal.

A large volume of offers of accommodation are received and many are not successful for a variety of reasons including:

• The International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) may deem a premises unsuitable for accommodation
• The premises may not be compliant with relevant statutory regulations
• IPPS and the prospective provider may not agree to contract terms
• The prospective provider may withdraw the offer during the appraisal process.