As a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the numbers of Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs) who have arrived in Ireland since March 2022, my Department has urgently needed to secure emergency temporary accommodation and ancillary services in order to provide access to accommodation to those fleeing the conflict who request it, in line with Government policy.
Due to this urgent need, my Department is not always in a position to procure necessary contract(s) by advertising using the procedures set out in the Procurement Regulations. Accommodation contracts awarded by my Department, such as the ones referenced by the Deputy, have, therefore, relied upon the derogation contained in Article 32(2)(c) of the European Union (Award of Public Authority Contracts) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 284/2016) and as referenced in the European Communications of 8 March and 22 March 2022.
To date, over 105,000 Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection have arrived in Ireland and over 83,000 of those have been referred to my Department seeking accommodation from the State.