Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 January 2024
336. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth what system is in place to verify that occupancy registers provided by providers of accommodation pursuant to the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 and centres accommodating beneficiaries of temporary protection, are accurate. [3548/24]
View answerAs part of their contract with my Department, providers of accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection are required to submit a weekly register in relation to their contracted capacity. The registers provide occupancy and vacancy figures which are checked by a team in my Department to make sure the figures provided do not exceed the maximum capacity agreed with the provider in their contract.
Inaccuracies are highlighted to the provider for clarification and information is provided in relation to the Offers Portal where any additional, currently uncontracted, beds or rooms the provider may have available can be offered for the Department’s use if required.
Maximising the use of contracted vacancies is a priority for my Department. A dedicated team were established last year to actively validate vacancies notified to us by accommodation providers to ensure these are within contract and meet our standards. In addition, improvements to our processes have significantly increased accommodation provider compliance with the requirement to submit weekly registers, currently over 95%, and my officials are actively contacting providers not currently doing so to ensure we have a full picture of contracted vacancies.
In relation IPAS centres, occupancy is tracked and monitored on a weekly basis, based on register returns submitted by centre management. Centres are also subject to desktop audits and onsite inspections to ensure accurate registers are kept.
