Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 March 2024
1079. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the capacity of each direct provision centre by county, to include the number of places available in each direct provision in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11568/24]
Amharc ar fhreagra1080. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the occupancy of each direct provision centre, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11569/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1079 and 1080 together.
There are nearly 28,000 people accommodated in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) system as a whole (of whom over 6,000 are children) compared with nearly 20,000 people at this time last year. Together with Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection displaced by the war in Ukraine, this means that Ireland is now accommodating over 100,000 people in state-supported accommodation
Intensive efforts are being undertaken daily by Department officials to source emergency accommodation. However, procuring enough bed space to keep pace with incoming arrivals remains extremely challenging.
The Department of Integration does not comment on occupancy figures for individual properties given the requirement to maintain the security and right to privacy of international protection (IP) applicants, and the variability of this data due to the emergency nature of its requirement to provide shelter for IP applicants.
However, please find below a link to IPAS weekly releases of statistics in relation to IP applicants. This includes a per county breakdown of where IP applicants are accommodated by IPAS.
gov.ie - IPAS Statistics (www.gov.ie) .
