Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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1320. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality given recent reports of serious disturbances outside asylum accommodation in the Dublin region, and criticism of Ireland’s implementation of immigration and asylum-policy controls, if he will provide the number of incidents recorded in 2024-25 where asylum-accommodation centres experienced public order disturbances; an assessment of the number of residents in surrounding communities that registered formal complaints about accommodation placement, safety or local consultation; and the specific measures in place, or planned, to ensure that local communities, including in Cork, are consulted and supported when such centres are established. [59226/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Department is committed to ensuring that local communities have access to accurate information and that structures are in place to plan for provision of essential and supports services, such as healthcare and education, to assist with the integration process.

The Community Engagement Team (CET) was established in late 2023 to engage directly with elected representatives, local authorities, NGOs, Community Fora, local services, An Garda Síochána and others, in advance of the opening of new IPAS accommodation centres and Ukraine accommodation.

The Department does not routinely report or collate data on public order disturbances in the detail and manner requested by the Deputy.

In general, the 318 IPAS accommodation centres located in every county in Ireland operate without any experience of public order incidents.

The purpose of the Community Engagement Team is to improve the flow of information about new and existing accommodation centres into communities, to assist with integration for the people joining our communities.

The team has supported communities around the opening of over 140 centres around the country since it was set up. Extra resources were added to the CET during 2024 to extend its reach and impact.

When a decision is made to accommodate people at a new centre, the team works to engage with and provide detailed information to the local community, in advance of the centre opening. They will give the full details of the property including the contracted capacity, resident profile and details about how the centre will be managed.

The team can also attend meetings for dialogue with local representatives and groups, providing background information, answering questions and listening to people's views, and helping to activate or support location partnerships where relevant to support accommodation openings.

The team also supports information sharing through a dedicated email service for queries from local groups or representatives about new and existing centres. While data on complaints from local residents is not available, the Community Engagement Team responds to between 20 and 40 enquiries from local communities each week, alongside broad contacts with communities in relation to ongoing engagements and meetings.