Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 May 2023
89. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide details on the current total number of refugees in accommodation provided by the State; the number accommodated this year; the total change since 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25993/23]
View answerSince the beginning of 2022, Ireland and many other European countries are experiencing a significant increase of new arrivals seeking international protection (IP).
As at 21 May The State is accommodating 20,645 international protection applicants (IPAs), compared with 5,928 IPA's accommodated in 2018.
In the first twenty weeks of 2023, there has been 3,638 arrivals seeking accommodation from IPAS.
Demand for accommodation currently outstrips supply. As at 25 May the total number of people who have not been accommodated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) stands at 235. The number of people originally not accommodated by IPAS that have since been offered accommodation stands at 1,063.
The Department has been challenged, not only by the increase in demand for accommodation for IPA's, but also by the loss of capacity as hotels return to the hospitality section for the tourist market. Since January 2023, IPAS have lost capacity of circa 2,540 beds and it is forecasted that a further 92 beds will be lost between now and the end of June 2023.
All of those affected by these bed losses have been re-accommodated by IPAS.
The total number of people accommodated by IPAS in 2023 is circa 5,950.
