Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 October 2024
297. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of the cost associated with the plan to deliver 14,000 State-owned beds for international protection applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42260/24]
View answerIn March 2024 Government approved a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy (CAS) for International Protection applicants. The strategy seeks to address the current accommodation shortfall, while reforming the system over the longer term to ensure the State will always be able to meet its international commitments.
Accommodation in the new strategy will be delivered through the following multi-strand approach:1. Use of State land for prefabricated and modular units2. Conversion of commercial buildings3. Targeted purchase of medium and larger turnkey properties4. Design and build of new Reception and Integration Centres5. Upgrading of IPAS Centres
The full cost to deliver the 14,000 state owned beds as committed to under the Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy will be dependent on a wide variety of factors including site acquisition, site security and insurance, physical infrastructure requirements, delivery mechanism (modular, design and build, refurbishment etc.) groundworks, labour and other variables.
In addition with respect to maintaining a negotiating position at the early stage of acquiring lands and/or buildings to deliver the beds, it is not possible to release information on the expected or proposed costs of acquisitions, as such data is commercially sensitive and its release could compromise the Department’s ability to achieve best value on behalf of the State.
The cost of delivering the 14,000 beds is being controlled and managed through an effective planning, scoping, procurement and oversight process across all relevant teams and agencies with a role in this significant programme of work.
