Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 March 2024
312. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the details of any engagement between his Department and the owners of religious institutions in the State with a view to providing emergency accommodation for asylum seekers, in view of the increasing number of asylum seekers with no accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11257/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraDCEDIY has utilised offers that have come through the Association of Missionaries and Religious of Ireland (AMRI) for religious buildings such as seminaries and convents for International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation.
There are also a number of such buildings which are currently in use for the accommodation of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) and these types of buildings include former convents and former religious order schools.
The Department is currently accommodating over 100,000 people between those fleeing Ukraine and International Protection (IP) applicants. This includes over 75,000 Ukrainian people who have sought accommodation from the State and over 27,000 IP applicants currently in International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation.
Department officials are working to bring more bed spaces into use. The Department is presently utilising a wide range of accommodation options to provide shelter to record numbers of International Protection (IP) applicants, with over 200 accommodation locations utilised since January 2022 across 26 counties.
