Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1639. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the total amount spent on IPAS accommodation in 2024; the amount spent each month to date in 2025; the total expenditure to date in 2025; the estimated total expenditure for 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46109/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Providing reception conditions to people who are applying for international protection is part of EU and Irish law. The State is currently accommodating almost 33,000 people seeking international protection in over 320 IPAS centres around the country.

The move to increase State-owned provision is provided for in the 2024 Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy, and in the 2025 Programme for Government, as part of a range of reforms to speed up the application system itself and reduce the need for continued growth in the accommodation system.

The Government is committed to moving away from its reliance on the private sector to provide accommodation for people seeking international protection. This involves the use of more State-owned land for accommodation, and targeted purchasing of turnkey properties like the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre.

The total spend on IPAS accommodation in 2024 was €1.005bn.

The total expenditure from January - July 2025 for costs associated with accommodation of IP applicants is €683,783,076.

Please see breakdown by month below:

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1640. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the total amount spent on Ukrainian TPD accommodation in 2024; the amount spent each month to date in 2025, the total expenditure to date in 2025; the estimated total expenditure for 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46110/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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Total expenditure in 2024 on Ukraine accommodation and related services was €1.094 bn.

The table below provides the monthly expenditure figures for 2025 as requested by the Deputy.

The fluctuations in the monthly spend is mainly driven by the timing of invoices received from providers.

The expenditure provision for 2025 is approximately €730m.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1641. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the total amount spent on the Ukrainian accommodation recognition payment in 2024; the amount spent each month to date in 2025, the total expenditure to date in 2025; the estimated total expenditure for 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46111/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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From the scheme’s launch on 26 July 2022 to 25 August 2025 approx. €353m has been paid to over 25,500 hosts under the Accommodation Recognition Payment for hosting over 58,400 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection.

The two tables below provide figures for the Accommodation Recognition Payment expenditure over this period.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1642. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason his Department continued to lease accommodation for Ukrainian refugees from a company (details supplied) after it was found to have supplied fake Garda vetting clearances to Tusla; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46115/25]

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1643. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he intends to seek any repayment of State monies paid to a company (details supplied) following revelations that the company was found to have supplied fake Garda vetting clearances to State agencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46116/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1642 and 1643 together.

I understand the Deputy’s questions refer to instances of false documentation which occurred in relation to a contract held by another State agency, not by this Department.

The Department has two contracts in place with the company referred to. The first is for the provision of accommodation for Ukrainians at an accommodation centre in County Wicklow, which has been in place since the end of 2022 and is due to conclude this month, September 2025. The second is a two-year contract to carry out vulnerability assessments in relation to applicants for international protection, which has been in place since late 2024.

Assessing vulnerability of international protection applicants is set out in EU regulations, and due to the unprecedented increase in applications seen in Ireland from 2021 onward, immense pressure had been placed on the Department's capacity to conduct these essential assessments.

In 2024, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) conducted a procurement process for the provision of vulnerability assessments for people applying for international protection in Ireland.

The tender was published in April 2024 across EU member states in accordance with domestic and EU procurement requirements. Following an evaluation, the tender was recommended for approval and subsequently approved in July 2024. A contract was signed with the provider on 2 September 2024.

The contract requires that the provider complies with all relevant safeguarding legislation, including but not limited to, the Children First Act 2015 and the Children First National Guidance. As a provider of a relevant service under the Act, service providers are required to hold valid vetting disclosures for staff members engaged in relevant activities. Copies of the provider's Child Safeguarding Statement and Child Protection Policy have been provided to the Department.

The Department has received confirmation that the provider has obtained valid vetting disclosures for all staff in relevant roles and updates are provided to the Department when there are changes to the staff delivering the service. The Department will maintain robust ongoing governance and oversight of this contract, including adherence to relevant safeguarding requirements for the services provided to applicants during the assessment process.

In relation to contracted Ukraine accommodation, Garda vetting of accommodation centre employees is a matter for employers in these settings to manage in accordance with national guidelines. It is incumbent on accommodation providers, under contract to my Department, to inform themselves of their legal obligations in this regard and take all necessary and appropriate steps. Each contractor is also responsible for their Child Safeguarding policy and for assessing whether they have an obligation under the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 to vet their staff.

The Ukraine accommodation contract held by the provider concerned is due to conclude in September 2025 and will not be renewed. The provider has been informed and the people who are currently resident at the accommodation will be offered placement at an alternative site in the near future, if they still require accommodation.