837. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when will a decision will be made regarding International Protection Accommodation Centres currently based in hotels; when they will return to their original purpose; if there will be a list available of such hotels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34654/26]

Ireland provides accommodation and other basic supports to people seeking international protection, as is required by law.

The State is currently accommodating over 33,000 people in over 300 International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres around the country. Accommodation is provided in a range of settings, including former tourism accommodation.

Alongside other reforms underway across the international protection system, the Programme for Government commits to reducing the use of former hotels for international protection accommodation, and to providing more State-owned accommodation.

Developing more State-owned options will assist in reducing the current degree of reliance on commercial provision in this sector. The purchase of the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre in 2025 was an important step in this strategy, and increased State-owned beds to 4,000 in 2025, compared to 900 in early 2024.

The Department is taking action across all aspects of the international protection accommodation system to improve value for money, strengthen governance and compliance, and renegotiate contracts with providers.

Through increased inspections and application of a new rate-card to contracts, costs have been reduced on renewed and new contracts, and 22 contracts were terminated in 2025.

While commissioning emergency commercial accommodation will continue to be necessary in the short to medium term, it is being contracted on a short-term basis, which will enable the State to decommission this capacity as State-owned beds increase, contracts expire, or demand fluctuates.

Ireland has opted in to the EU Asylum and Migration Pact which is due to enter operation in mid-2026.  Reforming and speeding up processing of applications should serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation seen in recent years.