Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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704. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who, having already been granted international protection or leave to remain, continue to reside in State-funded IPAS accommodation; the estimated cost to the Exchequer of accommodating such persons in 2024 and projected cost for 2025; the number of such residents currently in employment; whether any contribution toward their accommodation costs has been sought or received from those in employment; and the policy measures being considered to require those with income to contribute to the cost of their accommodation, in line with the principle of fairness to taxpayers. [51738/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The State is currently accommodating nearly 33,000 people who have applied for international protection in Ireland, 9,500 of whom are children.

At the moment, approximately 5,000 people in IPAS accommodation have a legal status allowing them to remain in Ireland. This is not a static number of people; approximately 10,000 people with status have moved out of IPAS accommodation since 2022, and just over 3,000 this year to date.

When a person completes their international protection application and receives a positive decision, they have a legal status that allows them to remain in Ireland. This also means they gain access to the full range of housing supports available to all Irish residents, which are not available to people going through the application process. There is a need for people with status to transition living independently in our communities, improving their integration into our society while also creating space within IPAS accommodation for newer arrivals.

The cost of accommodating those with status in IPAS accommodation, expressed separately to that of all current applicants, is not collated by my Department. However, I can inform the Deputy that the average cost of a person being provided with accommodation ranges from €12,000 per year to over €33,000 per year, dependent on whether they are resident in a State-owned facility or a commercial facility.

Data with respect to IPAS residents and their employment status is not collated in the manner requested by the Deputy.

My Department is developing a proposal for a contribution to cost scheme for international protection accommodation, and this will be brought forward shortly. Work has been done to examine similar schemes operating in other EU member states and there has been engagement with other relevant Government Departments on the proposed approach.

Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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705. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of times his Department has awarded contracts to persons who did not have ownership of the properties they offered to house IPAS applicants, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51754/25]

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.

The Department receives offers of international protection accommodation on an ongoing basis from external commercial providers. All offers are reviewed by the Department under a standardised appraisal procedure.

The Department can consider offers of accommodation from a tax-compliant company, subject to compliance with statutory requirements and minimum standards.

The Department carries out due diligence on accommodation being contracted, including checks via the Companies Registration Office (CRO) to ensure compliance with CRO requirements and tax compliance checks by way of a valid Irish Tax Clearance Certificate.

Part of the appraisal process is to confirm whether an offer has come from someone with the appropriate authority. Offers of accommodation can be made by a property owner, or another person who has authority do so, such as a leaseholder. The Department does not collate data in the detail and manner requested by the Deputy.

Contracts detail the industry standards required, providers are made aware of their obligations and must agree to the extensive requirements set out in agreements.

At the end of a contract period, part of the review and potential renewal process involves a detailed and updated review of all documentation associated with the contract, including authority to offer the property as owner or leaseholder.

With respect to potential for contract renewals, the provision of accommodation for international protection applicants is demand-led, and each premises is considered on a case-by-case basis to decide if the contract will be renewed as it approaches its end date.

At potential renewal stage, consideration will be given to the current and projected demand for accommodation, the provider's performance under contract, and compliance with standards and legal obligations.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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706. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the current average times for processing applications for international protection; the average time for processing appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51756/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I can assure the Deputy it is my intention to continue the investment in the end-to-end international protection process to speed up decision making.

In 2024 the International Protection Office (IPO) delivered over 14,000 first decisions compared to over 8,500 in 2023, while the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) closed around 3,100 appeals in 2024 compared to over 1,700 in 2023.

The median processing time for first-instance decisions in 2025 is 14 months overall and for those under accelerated procedure it is four months. The median processing time for IPAT appeals is 13 months overall for those under accelerated procedure it is 11.7

Ireland has opted in to the EU Asylum and Migration Pact which will come into effect in June 2026. The Pact will provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure. This will be achieved through convergence in asylum practices across the EU.

My Department continues to focus on preparing for the Pact in advance of June 2026.

The General Scheme of a new International Protection Bill to give effect to the measures of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact was approved by Government on 29 April 2025. The General Scheme has been published and referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for pre-legislative scrutiny. The drafting of the Bill is underway. It is expected that the Bill will be published by the end of the year. Enactment of the Bill and commencement of the Act is required by 11 June 2026.

The Bill will provide for the timeframes for the different procedures under which an international protection application can be examined, in accordance with the 2024 Asylum Procedure Regulation and the 2024 Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMR).

These timeframes will be 6 months for standard procedures, 3 months for the accelerated procedure, 2 months for the admissibility procedure, and in procedures for determining the Member State responsible in accordance with the AMMR, 6 months.

The Asylum Border Procedure will have a 12-week time limit for first instance and appeal decisions to be completed for applicants from countries of origin with a recognition rate of 20% or less across the EU, or for those who have no documents, false documents, or are deemed a security risk

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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707. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the current number of IPAS centres and residents per local electoral area; the corresponding figures in 2020 and 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51757/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The State is currently accommodating almost 33,000 people in over 320 International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres around the country, 9,500 of whom are children.

The data requested is set out in the tables attached.

The Department receives regular offers of accommodation from external commercial providers and does not predetermine their geographical location. All offers of international protection (IP) accommodation are reviewed by the Department under a standard appraisal procedure.

From 2022 to the end of 2024, there was a sudden and sustained increase in numbers of people applying for IP in Ireland. This increase happened at the same time as the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the EU Temporary Protection Directive, which saw over 114,000 people from Ukraine come to Ireland.

Over 45,000 people claimed IP from 2022 to 2024, exceeding the total number claiming in the preceding 16 years (from 2006 to 2021 - 44,000), indicating the immediacy and scale of the challenge.

These changes placed profound and sustained pressure on the State’s responsibility to source viable accommodation for new arrivals over the last three years.

As we respond to changing trends, and work toward a more stable and sustainable accommodation system in this sector, accommodation is being developed and delivered through a range of channels, with a focus on developing more State-owned accommodation.

This is part of wider reform of the IP processing system itself.

Reforming and speeding up processing of applications should also serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for IP accommodation.

Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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708. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the date in which IPAS residents were first housed at a location (details supplied); the occasions in which new contracts relating to this premises were formalised; the current number of IPAS residents at this premises; the date in which the current contract is due to expire; if he will consider at that time whether this premises can be returned to its former use as a commercial hotel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51758/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Department can confirm that the property listed in the detail supplied has been in use as an International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre since July 2023. Renewed contracts relating to this premises were formalised in July 2024. The Department conducts all contractual negotiations on the basis of there being no guarantee of the continuity of a contract beyond its end date.

Since 2024, once a centre is in operation, the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) has not published details of the capacity or occupancy of our accommodation centres. This is due to both safety and security concerns, and to protect the privacy of international protection applicants in line with legal obligations under the International Protection Act 2015.

With respect to potential for contract renewals, the provision of accommodation for international protection applicants is demand-led, and each premises is considered on a case-by-case basis to decide if the contract will be renewed as it approaches its end date.

At potential renewal stage, consideration will be given to the current and projected demand for accommodation, the provider's performance under contract, and compliance with standards and legal obligations.

Ireland has adopted and is now working to implement the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in mid-2026. Reforming and speeding up processing of applications should also serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation.

The Department is working to increase the amount of State-owned international protection accommodation and creating a more stable and sustainable accommodation system.

As developing these more sustainable state-owned accommodation system options under this strategy will take time, the commissioning of emergency commercial accommodation will continue to be a feature in the short to medium term.