Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 October 2025
580. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide details of the IPAS NGO partners who provide drop-in day services for unaccommodated people and who assist in the provision of access of facilities including hot showers, meals and laundry services; to provide the total funding to each individual partner NGO for every year since 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56750/25]
View answerFrom the end of 2023, shortages of accommodation meant the State was unable to offer accommodation to all people seeking international protection.
IPAS teams manage a very limited supply of accommodation, prioritising people with families or who have specific health needs or other vulnerabilities. Single male applicants are most affected by lack of accommodation.
The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) has arrangements in place with a range of NGO partners to provide drop-in day services for unaccommodated people seeking international protection.
This means people can access facilities including hot showers, meals and laundry services. IPAS also makes offers of accommodation to any applicant who is rough sleeping, identified through outreach that is organised 7 days a week.
The Department has arrangements in place for the provision of these services with Mendicity, Crosscare, the Capuchin Day Centre, and Tiglin at the Lighthouse.
These services were all commissioned from the end of 2023 onward, and so were not engaged during 2020 to the end of 2023.
There is full transparency from the Department in terms of providers receiving payments, with details of all payments over €20,000 and the recipients published quarterly online at Gov.ie here: www.gov.ie/en/collection/dfdadb-department-of-children-and-youth-affairs-purchase-orders-for-20000-o/ All expenditure relating to this service is subject to review by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/collections/department-of-children-equality-disability-integration-and-youth-purchase-orders-for-20000-or-above/
