Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 November 2024
350. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to a radio interview (details supplied), if he will provide details of his exit strategy for the Clare hospitality industry, which currently has 25% of its capacity being utilised for IPAS services. [44987/24]
View answerMy Department has responsibility for providing accommodation for people in Ireland who are fleeing the war in Ukraine, and also for people applying for international protection.
Given the rapid increase in applications for international protection over recent years, alongside the arrival of over 111,500 people fleeing the war in Ukraine since 2022, the Department has worked hard to rapidly source and manage needs for accommodation for people in both groups. Tremendous support and participation has been seen from all part of the country, and from people, communities and businesses in Co. Clare as part of that.
People applying for International Protection.
As background, at the moment, there are over 32,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole compared with approximately 7,000 people at the end of August 2021. Of those 32,000 people, approximately 9,000 are children.
People are accommodated at over 300 locations, in every county. As at October 27th, of the more than 32,000 overall applicants accommodated, there were 1010 residing in properties in Co. Clare.
The Government is committed to supporting all those seeking IP in Ireland and work is ongoing across the country to bring available accommodation into use to support our residents. This is part of Irish and EU law and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their home country.
Emergency centres have been opened in all parts of the country, and intensive efforts are underway to source suitable accommodation, in line with the Government's Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy. Despite this, since last December 2023, over 2,700 people who have applied for international protection since December 2023 have not been offered accommodation.
Due to the urgent obligation to provide safety and shelter to international protection applicants, the Department is not in a position to refuse offers of suitable accommodation, nor are we able to consider excluding offers of accommodation from any one county or local area.
In carrying out appraisals of any offer of accommodation, we do take into account the location and any circumstances that might impact on the integration of people being accommodated there. Over the last year or more, due to the very urgent needs for accommodation, and the priority to avoid homelessness for women and families in particular, our options or scope for selecting particular geographies or local areas have been extremely limited.
The Government's Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy (CAS) for people seeking IP aims to address the current serious shortfall in accommodation and build a more sustainable system for the longer term. Accommodation in the new strategy is being delivered through the use of State land for prefabricated and modular units, conversion of commercial buildings, and targeted purchasing of turnkey properties.
It will also involve design and build of new Reception and Integration Centres and upgrading of IPAS Centres. This will be supplemented, as required, by high standard commercial providers.
In line with the Department’s community engagement approach, our Community Engagement Team send information on new properties and type of accommodation to be provided directly to elected representatives, the Local Authority and other relevant groups in advance of the arrival of people seeking international protection into an area. The CET aims to work with local integration supports and services to assist the settling in process for new arrivals.
People who are Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, my Department continues to work as part of the whole-of-Government response with a focus on providing access to emergency temporary accommodation to those fleeing the conflict who request it, in line with Government policy. This supports Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) to make longer term independent arrangements if they decide to remain in Ireland for the duration of the Temporary Protection Directive.
As at 5th of November 2024, there were 1,721 BOTPs in accommodation contracted to my Department in County Clare.
My Department aims to ensure that our portfolio of accommodation meets the evolving needs of the State’s response to the Ukraine Crisis.
In recent months we have seen decreases in arrivals from Ukraine to Ireland, decreases in those arriving who request accommodation from the State and greater numbers of Ukrainians who choose to move on from State accommodation.
As a result, my Department is currently seeking to consolidate and rationalise its BOTP accommodation portfolio to ensure greater compliance with standards and better value for money. This has also resulted in a significant reduction in the use of tourist accommodation.
While my Department is grateful for the role that the tourism sector has played so far in accommodating BOTPs, we are aware that this is not sustainable over the longer term.
My Department is making decisions to end commercial contracts across the country, in accordance with contractual terms and conditions agreed with providers, on the basis of financial, administrative, other accommodation management reasons or at the request of the accommodation provider.
