Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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702. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the details of the rate card for IPAS accommodation which he referenced in the meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration on Tuesday 23 September 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51595/25]

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

My Department receives offers of international protection accommodation on an ongoing basis from external commercial providers, and reviews all offers under a standardised appraisal procedure.

A decrease in the numbers seeking accommodation has allowed my Department to transition out of a crisis response and to institute a range of value for money, compliance, and process improvements.

One such measure, is the introduction of a new rate card pricing structure, effectively ensuring that lower rates for accommodation and cost savings can be applied in negotiation on renewals of contracts and new commercial accommodation providers.

The Department estimates that this rate card model has achieved savings of over €52.9m since its introduction in May of this year.

The rate card is not published as it is commercially sensitive and to do so would weaken the Government’s ability to ensure value for money for the State in contract negotiations with commercial accommodation providers.

While details of contractual arrangements for IPAS centres are confidential and commercially sensitive, quarterly reports on all payments to IPAS accommodation providers over €20,000 are published online and are available on gov.ie.

www.gov.ie/en/collection/dfdadb-department-of-children-and-youth-affairs-purchase-orders-for-20000-o/