Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
667. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average length of stay in IPAS accommodation for persons whose international protection application was finalised in each year from 2019 to 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32917/26]
View answerProviding reception conditions to people who are applying for international protection is part of EU and Irish law. The State is currently accommodating over 33,000 people seeking international protection over 300 International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres around the country.
Ireland has opted in to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact which is to be implemented from mid-2026. Reforming and speeding up processing of applications should also serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation.
The number of IPAS centres at end of each year, and the average length of stay in IPAS Accommodation for residents with status from 2023 to 2025 is detailed in the table below.
Data for the preceding years is not collated and available for publication.
|
Year |
The number of IPAS Centres |
The average length of stay in IPAS Accommodation for residents with status |
|
2023 |
258 |
19.2 months |
|
2024 |
326 |
20.6 months |
|
2025 |
313 |
24.3 months |
Not all international protection applicants are resident in IPAS accommodation and the length of time spent by a person resident in IPAS accommodation will vary depending on the individual circumstances of the person or family's application.
When a person completes their international protection application and receives a positive decision, they have a legal status that allows them to remain in Ireland.
People who are granted status to remain also gain access to the full range of housing supports available to all Irish residents, which are not available to people going through the application process.
There is a need for people with status to transition to living independently in our communities, improving their integration into our society while also creating space within IPAS accommodation for newer arrivals.
To help people move from IPAS accommodation to find housing options in the community, IPAS has a team that works in collaboration with DePaul Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and Local Authorities.
It is essential that IPAS maintains enough accommodation to meet the needs of new applicants, who have a legal entitlement to IPAS accommodation, do not have immediate access to the labour market, and do not have access to standard housing benefits or standard social welfare entitlements.
