Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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622. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the amount the State has paid to an organisation (details supplied) in each of the past five years; the nature of the contract the State has with the organisation; if the State is leasing buildings from the organisation; if these are homes subject to a section-5 referral; if the organisation is purchasing homes to provide to the Government in these contracts; and who these homes are accommodating. [37220/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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This organisation is a provider of IPAS accommodation centres, accommodating people who have applied for international protection.

Properties from this provider were submitted under a 2022 Request For Tender (RFT) process to provide accommodation for international protection applicants. More information on the process can be found here; (irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicTenders/ViewNotice/267275). They are designated as IPAS accommodation centres and are contracted to the State for a defined period of time, as opposed to being leased.

Detailed contractual arrangements for International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres are confidential and commercially sensitive. However, quarterly reports on all payments over €20,000 are published online and are available on gov.ie here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/collections/department-of-children-equality-disability-integration-and-youth-purchase-orders-for-20000-or-above/

The Section 5 process refers to an application to the Local Authority under the Planning and Development Act 2000 to change of use of that property for a new purpose, including as accommodation for international protection applicants. Such a change is considered exempt development under Regulation 20F of that Act.

It is current practice for this Department to require new offers of accommodation to demonstrate a grant of a Section 5 application by the Local Authority. They will also be requested at contract renewal stage. While documentation of this declaration was not an appraisal requirement for properties in 2022, the appropriate planning exemption still applies.

The Department does not have any information on properties being purchased by this organisation.