Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 October 2025
271. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will provide the names of the international protection accommodation contractors for whom the recent Comptroller and Auditor General report could find no proof of ownership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54009/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraHuge strides have been made over recent months in regularising the IPAS accommodation portfolio. New systems and procedures in place are already having an impact and this will improve incrementally over the coming months and into 2026.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG)'s recent annual report for 2024 looked at overall processes and 20 sample international protection accommodation contracts dating from recent years.
The report sets out the extensive challenges posed to the State to source accommodation during an unprecedented surge in applications from 2022 to 2024. During this period, over 45,000 additional international protection applicants arrived in Ireland. Prior to this, a typical 3-year period would have seen close to 8,000 or 9,000 arrivals.
The C&AG has made five recommendations relating to due diligence documentation, contract management, control measures, the transmission of personal data, and evidence of appropriate planning. These have all been implemented, with one recommendation being further developed into 2026.
In relation to the properties in the Deputy's question, due to the surge in demand and the crisis response mounted, today’s standards of pre-contract assessments and negotiations did not apply across all accommodation sourcing in the 2022 to 2024 period.
Any of the properties examined in this audit, and who remain within the IPAS accommodation system, have subsequently provided either evidence of ownership, or evidence of authority to offer the property to the Department, such as a lease agreement. The Department checks properties against the Tailte Éireann data base to confirm details of land registration.
These checks are part of a comprehensive appraisal process now in place that considers a wide range of factors, including the value for money to the State, planning, regulatory factors and the health and well-being of residents in a particular site.
This Department is taking extensive action across all aspects of the accommodation system to improve value for money, improve processes and compliance and renegotiate contracts with providers. This is part of an overall process to speed up decisions and free up accommodation.
