Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
559. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total expenditure on accommodation contracts for IPAS centres in each of the past ten years; and the estimated proportion attributable to security services. [68388/26]
View answer560. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether accommodation providers are required to disclose security expenditure as part of their contracts with the State; and, if not, whether he intends to introduce such a requirement. [68387/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 559 and 560 together.
Providing reception conditions to people who are applying for international protection is part of EU and Irish law, and people are entitled to accommodation for the duration of their application process.
The State is currently accommodating nearly 32,000 people seeking international protection in 297 International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres around the country.
The allocation for IPAS accommodation and supports for 2025 was €1.27 billion and this has reduced to €1.1 billion for accommodation and supports in 2026. This is the first time in five years that the budget for international protection accommodation and supports is less than the previous year.
From 2022 to the end of 2024, there was a sudden and sustained increase in numbers of people applying for international protection in Ireland. This came during the same period as the arrival of over 120,000 people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The increased arrivals from 2022 onward placed profound pressure on supply of accommodation across this sector.
The table below outlines the total spend on IPAS accommodation in commercial and State-owned accommodation since 2015. Please note the 2025 figure is provisional pending completion of the 2025 Appropriation Accounts.
Table 1: Total spend on IPAS accommodation in commercial and State-owned accommodation since 2015.
|
Year |
€ |
|
2015 |
€57,025,000 |
|
2016 |
€64,137,000 |
|
2017 |
€67,359,000 |
|
2018 |
€77,993,000 |
|
2019 |
€129.408,000 |
|
2020 |
€183,215,000 |
|
2021 |
€190,856,000 |
|
2022 |
€356,554,000 |
|
2023 |
€651,756,000 |
|
2024 |
€1,005,000,000 |
|
2025 |
€1.2 Billion |
The costs outlined above pertain to accommodation for international protection applicants, including transport, facilities management, utilities and other related costs.
In all IPAS accommodation centres, whether they are commercially provided or State-owned, centre management and providers are responsible for day-to-day operational arrangements on the site, including catering, health and safety, utilities and security arrangement.
Security costs and service provision for commercially contracted centres are included in the overall contracted rate with the service provider.
All contracts negotiated now provide for an all-inclusive rate, that covers all services on the site, including security and include the need to comply with the licensing requirements of the Private Security Authority (PSA).
Security for occupied State-owned IPAS centres is also provided as part of each site's facilities management contract.
As such, the Department does not hold details of individual security contracts, service providers, or costs, and would not procure or pay for these services directly.
In line with the Programme for Government 2025 the State is working to develop more State-owned international protection accommodation and reduce reliance on commercially contracted accommodation.
The new International Protection Act 2026 gives effect to the measures of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact and has passed into law. The new rules came into effect on 12 June. This reform and its shorter processing timelines for applications should serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation.
As developing these more sustainable state-owned accommodation system options will take time, the commissioning of emergency commercial accommodation will continue to be a feature in the short to medium term.
