Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 December 2022
446. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details of the unit 81 development on the Cookstown Road in Tallaght; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61941/22]
View answerUnder the Recast Reception Conditions Directive (SI 230 of 2018), my Department is legally required to provide accommodation to International Protection applicants who seek it while their claim for International Protection is being determined.
The accommodation of International Protection applicants is a demand-led process. Since 1 January 2022, over 13,600 International Protection (IP) applicants have arrived in Ireland. In the past 12 months this figure rises to just over 14,700. The average arrival figure for IP applicants for the three-year period from (2017 to 2019) is 3,500.
Since 24 February 2022, the Department has worked to facilitate the accommodation solution for both IP applicants and over 49,000 Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection (BOTPs), an unprecedented volume of people seeking refuge in Ireland.
IPAS accommodation centres are currently hosting almost 18,000 people. At this time last year, IPAS was accommodating 7,250 people.
The pressure to accommodate over 67,000 people since the start of the year has led to significant accommodation shortages, particularly for International Protection applicants. The Department has been forced to avail of all offers of accommodation, including the use of office buildings, in order to address the accommodation shortfall.
In this context, an exempted development regulation for the change of use of a wide repository of buildings was drafted with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and was signed by Minister of State Peter Burke T.D. on 29 November 2022. The Statutory Instrument will allow for the change of use of a range of buildings to be utilised for IPAS emergency accommodation.
DCEDIY is open to accepting offers of accommodation in these buildings once building control regulations are complied with and applied for in the appropriate manner.
In regard to your query, the capacity in Unit 81, Cookstown Road is for 200 people consisting of single male International Protection (IP) applicants. The layout of the facility is best suited to single males.
A contract has been put in place for one year initially.
My officials and I met with local representatives on 29 November, and they have been briefed. South Dublin County Council has been consulted on this matter and the accommodation provider made the requisite application for use of the building through the Building Control Management System.Given the significantly increased numbers of arrivals in the context of accommodation shortages the Department has no option but to consider all offers of accommodation. Emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country. There have been in excess of 40 accommodation locations utilised since January across 13 counties.
