Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February, and the invoking of the temporary protection Directive by the European Union shortly afterwards, my Department has worked intensively as part of the cross-governmental response to the Ukraine crisis.
The operational challenges brought about by responding to the conflict are significant. Our country has never experienced an influx of displaced persons like the one that we have seen over the past months. My Department’s role is focused on the immediate, short-term accommodation needs of those who have fled here.
To date, more than 42,000 people have arrived in Ireland and just in excess of 31,000 of those have been referred to us seeking accommodation from the State. The number of people seeking international protection has also increased adding to accommodation capacity issues.
Overseeing provision of accommodation on this scale during this timeframe for all those who require it remains immensely challenging. Due to the urgent need to source accommodation, a broad range of accommodation types have been contracted, including emergency accommodation. While this is not ideal, the priority is to place people fleeing the conflict in safe and secure accommodation.
This range of accommodation in sites across the country, includes student accommodation representing a capacity of approximately 4,500 from both third-level institutions and with the owners of privately-owned student accommodation. Where contracts are coming to end in the period ahead, my Department is working to identify alternative accommodation solutions. Given the high demand for accommodation, all options remain under consideration.
