Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 May 2024
437. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of the amount of his Department’s pre-committed capital expenditure under the National Development Plan that will be dedicated to international protection accommodation in each of the years 2024 to 2026, in tabular form. [20393/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn February 2021 A White Paper to End Direct Provision and establish a new International Protection Service was published. The paper set out a new approach for accommodating applicants that seek International Protection in Ireland and contains three core themes – accommodation, integration and supports. There is a legal obligation on the state to meet the requirements under the EU Recast Reception Conditions Directive to provide accommodation to all who request it.
In 2022 and 2023 Ireland experienced unprecedented numbers of new IP arrivals with over 26,900. To put this in context the total number of applications received in 2022 and 2023 (26,900) is greater than the total received over the preceding eight year period, 2013-2021 (23,369). These very significant arrival numbers have continued in the first months of 2024, with the highest number of applicants, over 3300, received in January and February according to IPO published statistics. This represents a 56% increase when compared to the corresponding period in 2023.
Because of these extreme challenges in providing accommodation, there was a recognition that the underlying assumptions on which the White Paper was based required re-assessment, as the assumptions underpinning it are based on 3500 new arrivals each year. A review of the timelines and deliverables was initiated.
On the 27th March 2024 Government agreed a new Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy (CAS) for International Protection applicants. The strategy seeks to address the current accommodation shortfall, while reforming the system over the longer term to ensure the State will always be able to meet its international commitments.
Accommodation in the new strategy will be delivered through the following multi-strand approach:
1. Use of State land for prefabricated and modular units
2. Conversion of commercial buildings
3. Targeted purchase of medium and larger turnkey properties
4. Design and build of new Reception and Integration Centres
5. Upgrading of IPAS Centres
The multi-strand approach focuses on both increasing State owned permanent capacity, and the upgrading of additional contingency accommodation, developed to specific national standards, to build an effective system to meet the new realities of increasing need while enabling the State to discharge its duty to meet the material reception conditions of IP Applicants, according to the guiding principles of the White Paper.
The department is in the early stages of planning its approach for the delivery of the increased state owned accommodation capacity. The table below details the allocated capital for the years 2024 to 2026 as agreed under the National Development Plan 2021 to 2030.
|
|
2024 |
2025 |
2026 |
|
NDP Capital (€million) |
9.5 |
40 |
40 |
Commitments have been made by Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and reform to provide further funding on top of the confirmed allocations on a project by project basis. Once DCEDIY has a project that requires extra funding it will seek sanction from DPENDPR for it.
