My Department is focused on providing short term accommodation to people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Approximately 19,000 people have been placed in International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) accommodation to date.
IPAS has contracted over 7500 rooms across hotels, hostels, student accommodation, B&Bs and more, with additional capacity being pursued through guest houses, accommodation pledged by the general public, state-owned or private properties which may be suitable for short-term accommodation, accommodation belonging to voluntary bodies, religious properties, Local Authority facilities and Airbnb. The Millstreet Green Glens Arena opened recently, and can take up to 320 people. IPAS is also investigating other options such as student accommodation for the summer period and holiday homes. Given the number of people arriving, sourcing suitable accommodation continues to be a challenge.
The Department of Justice and the Department of Social Protection collect information on all arrivals into Ireland who are fleeing the war in Ukraine. This data, along with the information on numbers in short-term accommodation that my Department provides, is all fed into central planning by Government and other Departments and Agencies.