The State is currently accommodating nearly 33,000 people who have applied for international protection in Ireland, 9,500 of whom are children.
At the moment, approximately 5,000 people in IPAS accommodation have a legal status allowing them to remain in Ireland. This is not a static number of people; approximately 10,000 people with status have moved out of IPAS accommodation since 2022, and just over 3,000 this year to date.
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. This also means they 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 living independently in our communities, improving their integration into our society while also creating space within IPAS accommodation for newer arrivals.
The cost of accommodating those with status in IPAS accommodation, expressed separately to that of all current applicants, is not collated by my Department. However, I can inform the Deputy that the average cost of a person being provided with accommodation ranges from €12,000 per year to over €33,000 per year, dependent on whether they are resident in a State-owned facility or a commercial facility.
Data with respect to IPAS residents and their employment status is not collated in the manner requested by the Deputy.
My Department is developing a proposal for a contribution to cost scheme for international protection accommodation, and this will be brought forward shortly. Work has been done to examine similar schemes operating in other EU member states and there has been engagement with other relevant Government Departments on the proposed approach.
