Written answer
International Protection
The Department purchased 37 smaller properties for vulnerable protection applicants; 26 are in use, 11 under review for other uses, and no further purchases are planned.
350. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 72604/26 if he will answer the original question and provide the number of smaller-scale and residential properties purchased by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for the accommodation of more vulnerable international protection applicants. [75005/26]
Comment on this
The International Protection Accommodation Service is currently accommodating nearly 32,000 residents in 295 international protection accommodation centres around the country.
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. A small proportion of more vulnerable applicants may be accommodated in smaller scale properties within the IPAS accommodation system.
In your recent questions taken together, Deputy, I understand that you asked in Parliamentary Question No 72603/26 for 'the number of private residential properties that are now owned by his Department or are managed by his Department to provide accommodation for former residents of IPAS centres'.
In reply, the Department stated that it does not provide accommodation for former residents of IPAS centres, which was understood to refer to people who have transitioned out of IPAS accommodation.
You also asked me in Parliamentary Question No 72604/26 for an update on a property in Stamullen in Co. Meath.
In relation to your question about the number of properties purchased to provide IPAS accommodation for vulnerable IPAS residents, 37 in-community properties were purchased by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for this purpose. It is not my intention as Minister to purchase any further properties of this type.
26 of these properties are being deployed to accommodate vulnerable cohorts of IPAS residents. Eleven of these properties are currently under review for alternative uses outside of international protection accommodation.