Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 July 2022
125. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way he plans to cope with providing accommodation for asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36721/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to assure you, Deputy, that providing accommodation to all people who avail of the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) of this Department is of the highest priority for me and for my Department. My officials have been working tirelessly to source accommodation in the context of the increasing accommodation pressures.
Since the lifting of international travel restrictions post-COVID 19, there has been a significant increase of new arrivals seeking international protection (IP) in Ireland, with an average of 1,070 people per month making applications since January. The pace of arrivals is unprecedented.
This has coincided with the war in Ukraine, and in additional to those seeking IP, over 39,000 refugees have come to Ireland under the Temporary Protection Directive, with almost 27,000 of those now accommodated by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
In the immediate term, it has been necessary to create a temporary resting area in Citywest. The temporary resting area consists of a seating area and dormitory style accommodation with beds and showering facilities. Applicants move from the facility as soon as alternative accommodation is available for them.
IPAS is contracting additional accommodation weekly for international protection applicants. It has sought expressions of interest from contractors interested in providing accommodation for international protection applicants over the next six months. It has also moved Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection from all international protection hotels so to create as much accommodation as possible for international protection applicants. However, IPAS is continuing to experience acute accommodation shortage. It is expected that this will continue over the summer during the tourist high season.
In the medium term, the request for tender (RFT), published on 18 January 2022, seeks to procure additional accommodation for singles, couples and families seeking international protection.
This tender process is a key plank in my Department’s strategy to end reliance on emergency accommodation and will assist in alleviating the accommodation pressures currently being experienced. The RFT encourages tenders from not-for-profit organisations and promotes tenderers to work with not-for-profit organisations in the delivery of related services.
A higher than expected number of submissions were received by the deadline of 21 February 2022. The compliance check process commenced on 28 February but was subsequently delayed due to the Ukrainian refugee situation. The compliance check has now recommenced and the tenders are currently being evaluated, with the aim of bringing successful tenders on stream as soon as possible.
In addition, an advertisement will issue from IPAS shortly seeking offers from providers nationwide to accommodate international protection applicants on an emergency basis. The aim is to increase potential accommodation capacity for international protection applicants.
