Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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431. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of money the State spent in 2024 and 2025 on taxi journeys for International protection applicants; and the details of the most expensive taxi journey. [53553/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The State is legally obliged to offer accommodation and basic supports to people applying for international protection.

Over 32,000 people are currently resident in over 320 IPAS accommodation centres nationwide.

Costs of accommodating a person in international protection accommodation centres include a range of elements, including accommodation, food, security, staffing, and ancillary costs like security, insurance and utilities and transport costs.

The IPAS system involves groups of residents arriving, leaving and moving to different centres each week, for a range of reasons. Transport is required as part of some resident moves, and also can be provided for specific urgent needs, e.g. travel to urgent medical care appointments where public transport is not practicable.

IPAS centres are located in all parts of the country. In some cases, a taxi journey for a smaller group of people may be the most economical option, or may be required when short notice or out of hours transfer is needed.

Taxi costs in 2024 were €906,222. Costs in 2025 have been reduced significantly. €228,107 was spent on taxis from 1 January 2025 to 1 June 2025.

Direct costs paid by accommodation centre management are not included in these figures.

The data requested by the Deputy with respect to individual taxi journeys is not collated and is not available for publication.

In relation to service providers contracted by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) to provide accommodation and related services to International Protection (IP) applicants, the Department publishes reports on all payments over €20,000.

These are published, once per quarter, on gov.ie here: .