Efforts to find accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers enter ‘extremely difficult phase’, PAC to hear

Efforts to find accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers has entered “an extremely difficult phase” and the “sheer scale” of the issue has meant “limiting the time window” for communications with communities, TDs will be told.

Secretary general of the Department of Integration Kevin McCarthy is expected to outline the stark situation during an appearance at the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (Pac) on Thursday.

Mr McCarthy will outline how the State is accommodating more than 77,000 people including 57,500 refugees from Ukraine and 19,741 asylum seekers from other countries.

His opening statement to the committee says this is a 10-fold increase on the 7,500 international protection applicants being housed this time last year.

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All accommodation capacity within the International Protection Accommodation Service (Ipas) system is being used.

Mr McCarthy says there are “intensive efforts” every day to source emergency accommodation but procuring enough bed capacity “remains extremely challenging”.

He adds: “This is particularly so in the case of accommodation for single males.

“This has now entered an extremely difficult phase, with insufficient new accommodation for international protection applicants at scale available in the short term to medium term, and a number of IP [International Protection] accommodation contracts coming to a close.”

The Citywest Transit Hub remains closed to new arrivals and it was not possible to accommodate 187 people as of February 14th.

Mr McCarthy is to tell TDs: “Due to the sheer scale and urgency of need, it inevitably means that emergency accommodation for those seeking refuge must be occupied on a faster timeline than would otherwise be the case, limiting the time window for advance communication with communities.”

He says the department is aware of the need to address “information deficits” and it is committed to working with elected representatives, local authorities and local communities “to ensure that local dialogue is fact-based and to counter misinformation that is used in some instances to generate fear and resistance”.

He also says: “We are very grateful to the communities across Ireland who have given their support to this national effort.”

Mr McCarthy will describe efforts to house people fleeing the Russian war on Ukraine as “the largest mobilisation of humanitarian support in the history of the State”.

He says the response has involved contracting hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses, hostels and self-catering accommodation.

Buildings have been repurposed and refurbished, and sports centres, arenas, scouting facilities, properties owned by religious and voluntary bodies, student accommodation, military facilities and tents are also being used along with pledged accommodation in people’s homes or second properties.

He will say that specific planning exemptions have been used to facilitate the use of repurposed office buildings and rapid build homes as part of the overall response.

Mr McCarthy will say: “The overall requirements of this response, including the use of various forms of emergency accommodation, has had and will continue to have a significant impact on costs in 2022 and 2023.”

A representative from the Office of Public Works (OPW) will also be on hand to take TDs’ questions on the delivery of 700 modular homes for refugees.