I propose to take Questions Nos. 153, 156, 157 and 158 together.
IPAS currently has over 300 accommodation centres in operation, and almost 33,000 residents in total.
The great majority of IPAS accommodation capacity, whether contracted or State-owned, is located in group settings in larger properties, like former hotels, guesthouses, commercial and institutional buildings. The Department does not collate reports for publication on accommodation centre capacity by accommodation type as set out in the question.
State-owned capacity in the system has increased to approximately 4,000 beds over recent years, and the Government is committed to increasing the proportion of State-owned international protection accommodation.
Currently over 88% of accommodation capacity is provided through commercial providers. In contracting or purchasing accommodation over recent years, despite significant pressures on accommodation supply, the Department has worked in the main to avoid competing with the residential property market.
A small number of residential type properties are contracted to IPAS to provide accommodation in communities for international protection applicants with specific needs or higher support needs.
Planning regulation and compliance is a matter between the relevant Local Authority and the property or provider. The Department does not hold data on planning applications made to Local Authorities, nor does the Department collate data on accommodation centres by planning compliance in the format requested by the Deputy.
However, for IPAS accommodation centres, since 2025, all contracts that are being renewed, and any new contract entered into since that time, must be accompanied by the appropriate documentation from the Local Authority to verify their compliance with the relevant planning regulations. This is reviewed by the Department at appraisal or contract renewal stage.
Since 2024, IPAS has not published details of the specific locations, resident profile, and occupancy of our accommodation centres. This is to preserve the privacy, safety and wellbeing of residents and staff.
IPAS releases weekly statistics in relation to international protection applicants. This includes a per county breakdown of where applicants are residing, an accommodation overview, and a wide range of other details.
These statistics are located on the Gov.ie website: www.gov.ie/en/international-protection-accommodation-services-ipas/collections/statistics-2004-to-2026/.
