815. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the extent to which he has implemented the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s 2024 report on IPAS contracting, particularly regarding proof of ownership, fire certification, insurance documentation, and planning compliance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64240/26]

816. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures he has introduced to prevent the awarding or renewal of IPAS contracts to companies whose directors or beneficial owners have been associated with criminal gangs, including those implicated in the Drogheda feud; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64239/26]

817. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of IPAS contracts currently under review or terminated due to concerns relating to ownership structures, undisclosed overseas funding sources, or links to organised criminality, as highlighted in recent media reporting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64238/26]

818. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the steps he is taking to ensure that companies awarded International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) contracts are subject to full criminal background and financial probity checks, in view of recent reports that contracts were previously issued to entities linked to individuals investigated by the Criminal Assets Bureau and the UK Assets Recovery Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64237/26]

819. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of legacy IPAS contracts that have been renewed despite documented lapses in planning permission, fire safety certification, or insurance compliance; the rationale for allowing such renewals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [64241/26]

831. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of accommodation contracts between IPAS and private companies that have been withdrawn or terminated since 1 January 2025; if he will provide a list of the companies concerned; the centres which they operated; and the reasons for the withdrawal or termination. [64498/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 815, 816, 817, 818, 819 and 831 together.

Providing reception conditions, including accommodation and other basic supports, to international protection applicants is a requirement of Irish and EU law.

There are nearly 297 IPAS Accommodation Centres located around the country, with over 31,000 residents.?

My Department worked closely with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) in carrying out an extensive review of costs and processes within the international protection accommodation system published in 2025. I can confirm that all recommendations in the C&AG report have been implemented by the Department.

The Department receives offers of international protection accommodation on an ongoing basis from external commercial providers. All offers are reviewed by the Department under a standardised appraisal procedure.

A dedicated team appraises each offer to accommodate people seeking international protection, and the Department carries out due diligence on the provider who is offering the accommodation service.

This includes checks on the provider offering the service to the Department via the Companies Registration Office (CRO) to ensure compliance with CRO requirements.

Providers must be registered in Ireland. All payments made in respect of International Protection accommodation are to an Irish entity, to an Irish bank account, with tax clearance in Ireland.

Providers may be part of wider commercial groups. The Department carries out its appraisals on the providers making the submission and does not appraise wider commercial entities which may be associated with providers.

Each new or renewing provider of accommodation services must provide a declaration of their personal circumstances. This declaration, which must be notarised, confirms that they are tax compliant, free of any convictions for corruption, fraud or being a member of a criminal organisation. It also confirms that they are solvent and have no history of failing to meet terms of public service contracts, among other requirements.

All provider payments are published on a quarterly basis by the Department, and a provider's tax compliance is verified at each payment by way of a Tax Clearance Certificate.

Planning regulation and compliance is a matter between the relevant Local Authority and the property or provider. 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.

The Department is also 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 36 contracts have terminated since 2025.

Details of individual contractual arrangements and processes are treated as confidential, but reasons for not renewing or ending a contract may include compliance concerns, including failure to meet contractual requirements, health and safety concerns, fire safety issues, planning issues, or other regulatory non-compliance, or non-agreement of commercial terms. Contracts may also be terminated at the request of the provider within the terms of the contract.

In line with the Programme for Government 2025 the State is working to develop more State-owned international protection accommodation and reduce reliance on commercially contracted accommodation.

The new International Protection Act 2026 gives effect to the measures of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact and has passed into law. The new rules came into effect on 12 June. Reforming and speeding up processing of applications should also serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation.