Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 January 2023
141. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the reason for tented accommodation being used at a location (details supplied) for a second time after assurances were provided in December 2022 that tents would not be used again at the site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3731/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraDeputy, as of 15 January 2023, there are 19,698 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole. This includes the National Reception Centre (466) and IPAS accommodation centres (6,887), temporary tented (81) and emergency (12,264) accommodation including those in City West. Of this total, 4,086 are children.
My Department has accommodated over 15,000 International Protection Applicants (IPAs) in 2022. Currently, the number of new arrivals each day remains elevated. In the first three weeks of 2023 alone, more than 870 IPAs have arrived in Ireland seeking shelter and safety.Since 1 December 2022 to present, my officials have accommodated almost 1,500 people in over 25 emergency accommodation locations. These locations comprise of re-purposed office units, schools, former religious buildings and former hospitality accommodation.The pressure to accommodate an increase of 330% in IPA arrivals in 2022 - from an average arrival number of 3,500 each year in the period 2017 to 2019- has resulted in an acute shortfall of available accommodation. My Department has made every possible effort to secure accommodation and has sought support from the widest possible range of organisations to provide accommodation to IPAs. Where request for tender processes have not delivered the required capacity, the Department has engaged in emergency accommodation sourcing through networks with other State accommodation providers such as the local authorities, through newspaper advertisements, through cold calling and the use of online booking engines. In 2022, the Department has utilised all manner of buildings offered to it including office buildings and sports facilities such as Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Croke Park and the National Indoor Arena, Abbotstown. My Department has utilised offers that have come through the Association of Leaders of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI) for religious buildings such as seminaries and convents for IPAS accommodation. My Department has been forced to utilise tented accommodation in the Knockalisheen Accommodation Centre to address the accommodation crisis for IPAs.
We will endeavour to ensure that the use of temporary tented accommodation is a short-term measure, but in terms of the accommodation shortage, the priority must remain on providing shelter.The Department continues to explore all offers of accommodation for IPAs in as far as it can. However, there remains an acute shortfall with respect to accommodation for single males in particular.Deputy, I trust this information relays the gravity of the situation my department faces.
