John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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448. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if private homes are leased for IPAS accommodation; the number of private homes leased for IPAS accommodation in tabular form; if this is part of the Government’s strategy regarding IPAS accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40667/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is currently accommodating nearly 33,000 residents in over 320 international protection accommodation centres around the country.

At the moment, over 90% of accommodation capacity is provided through commercial providers.

In contracting accommodation over recent years, despite significant pressures on accommodation supply, the Department has worked to avoid competing with the residential property market.

Data on accommodation centres is recorded by resident capacity and location, rather than by designation as a former private home, but almost all IPAS emergency accommodation centres are located in larger properties, like former hotels, guesthouses, commercial and institutional buildings, rather than residential houses.

A small number of residential type properties, approximately 10, are contracted to IPAS to provide accommodation in communities, for international protection applicants residents with specific needs or higher support needs.

In line with the Programme for Government 2025, and the Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy for International Protection approved in 2024, the State is working to develop more State-owned international protection accommodation, and reduce reliance on commercial providers over time.

This is part of a range of steps being taken to reform the international protection system overall, reducing processing times, providing applicants with a faster and more efficient decision process and in turn reducing the scale of demand for accommodation in the longer-term.

This strategic approach will align with implementation of the Migration Pact across EU Member States, including Ireland, in mid 2026.