Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 October 2024
565. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if the international protection accommodation office or any official in his Department has received complaints or requests for assistance from persons housing beneficiaries of temporary protection or international protection applicants regarding subletting of property; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41626/24]
View answerIn relation to the provision of access to temporary accommodation for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (BOTPs), my Department has procured a broad range of accommodation types, including hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs, hostels, self-catering accommodation and certain other repurposed settings.
My Department has been made aware of some instances where it became apparent that the service provider or potential service provider for temporary accommodation to BOTPs was not the outright owner of the property and had not obtained permission from the owner before making an offer to my Department. In one such circumstance, the contract was not signed by my Department. In another instance, where a service provider had already been providing accommodation services before my Department was made aware that they had not obtained permission from the owner and the own sought the return of the property, the contract was terminated.
Any complaint or request for assistance to my Department from persons providing accommodation for BOTPs is reviewed by officials in my Department. It should be noted that my Department is not currently contracting additional accommodation for BOTPs from new or existing provider.
In relation to accommodation for people applying for International Protection, IPAS accommodation centres are located at over 320 locations around the country and are primarily group accommodation sites, with centre management, staffing and central services provided directly to residents. Accommodation centres are of varying types, some permanent centres and some emergency centres contracted to the Department to provide accommodation.
IPAS regularly engages with centres to ensure compliance with contracts and standards with particular focus on the wellbeing of international protection applications. A small number of compliance issues have arisen across IPAS’s property portfolio of 320 centres. These issues are actively addressed with service providers as they arise and are followed up in terms of any regulatory issues, or welfare issues for residents.
When an external offer of accommodation for international protection applicants is received, the International Protection Procurement Service sends a proposal template to the prospective provider that they are required to complete and return. The proposal template seeks to gather as much information as is reasonably practicable to facilitate an objective assessment of the suitability of the premises to accommodate people seeking IP, and the right of the proposer to make the offer.
The provider must ensure that the property is of an adequate standard and that the provider will provide the services in accordance with good industry practice and comply with all applicable laws including but not limited to all obligations in the field of health and safety, environmental, social, child protection, and labour law that apply at the place where the services are provided.
If a property is contracted and it is later brought to the attention of my Department that a provider might be in contravention of their contractual obligations, my Department will take the appropriate steps to ensure an accommodation provider rectifies these matters in compliance with the relevant legislation.
