Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2026
324. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of international protection applicants not offered accommodation on arrival in each month in 2025 and to date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9077/26]
View answer325. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total occupancy of IPAS accommodation compared to the total capacity. [9078/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 324 and 325 together.
The unprecedented increase in applications for asylum from 2022 to 2024 placed intense pressure on the accommodation system. It also gave rise to an undesirable situation where the State became increasingly dependent on private providers of accommodation.
Total IPAS resident numbers have been steady since the end of 2024, at around 33,000, but individual people and family groups are moving into, and out of, IPAS accommodation every week.
It is a very dynamic system, with more than 1,000 new applications every month, and on average 500 people moving into, out of, and around the accommodation system on a weekly basis.
Entrances to and exits from the IPAS accommodation system are restricted due to pressure on suitable capacity for new arrivals, particularly single male applicants, and due to people who have completed their application process finding it hard to source accommodation outside the IPAS system.
In 2026, the IPAS system is working toward a goal of having 15% of beds available at any given time. This is a European Union good practice measure, to ensure efficient operations and allow for the daily and weekly movement of new and existing residents, and forward planning.
This model is similar to accommodation models in other countries, and in sectors like healthcare and hospitality, where accommodation requires daily management. IPAS will continue working towards the goal of 15% available capacity over the coming year.
The table below outlines the available bed capacity within the IPAS system over 311 centres.
Table 1: The available bed capacity within the IPAS system over 311 centres, as at 4 January 2026
|
Available capacity |
35,775 |
|
Current Residents |
33,184 |
|
Single male beds available |
248 |
|
Mixed accommodation beds available |
2,000 |
|
Family only beds available |
343 |
|
Total available beds (04/02/2026) |
2,591 |
Single male applicants for international protection have been particularly affected by shortages of accommodation since 2022. At this time, not all single male applicants can be offered accommodation at the point of application.
At a point, over 3,500 people in this group were awaiting an offer of accommodation. Through an ongoing programme since March 2025, this has steadily reduced to 453 people currently awaiting an offer.
The table below outlines details of people who IPAS were not able to accommodate on application. It is important to note that offers of accommodation are made retrospectively to people in this group, when accommodation capacity permits. Single male accommodation is in shortest supply, with only 248 contingency beds available as outlined above in Table 1.
Table 2: The number of people not accommodated on arrival, monthly from January 2025 to January 2026, as at 29 January 2026
|
January 2025 |
341 |
|
February 2025 |
361 |
|
March 2025 |
295 |
|
April 2025 |
396 |
|
May 2025 |
289 |
|
June 2025 |
297 |
|
July 2025 |
340 |
|
August 2025 |
297 |
|
September 2025 |
405 |
|
October 2025 |
412 |
|
November 2025 |
406 |
|
December 2025 |
387 |
|
January 2026 |
392 |
My Department continues to manage this very limited supply, ensuring that the contingency beds above are kept available for daily arrivals, people with health or other vulnerabilities, and this is kept under continual active review to maximise best use of limited capacity.
Across the whole IPAS system, many beds are preassigned or out of use on a daily basis for essential reasons including pre-assignments for referrals from daily homeless outreach, beds designated dispersal centres, or for residents due to move from centres that are closing. Beds may be out of use within the system for a range of reasons including infection control, renovation or family room configurations.
My Department works at all times to ensure the limited accommodation capacity is used in the best and most effective way, prioritising those people who are most vulnerable or those with families.
