375. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 72780/26, the precise reasons the regulations and contribution model as laid down in the relevant Statutory Instrument have never been implemented before now; if this was a political or policy decision by his Department or by Cabinet; and if implementation of the S.I. has been objected to by any advocacy group in the migration or asylum space. [75138/26]

IPAS Accommodation is provided for in EU regulations and transposed into Irish law. Statutory Instrument No 230/2018, European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, provides that all IP applicants are entitled to Material Reception Conditions.

The Regulations further provide that where a resident is in receipt of an income above a certain level, they may be required to make a contribution to the cost of providing reception condition services. The contribution rates are set out in a Schedule to the Regulations and are proportionate to the amount that people earn.

The 2025 Programme for Government included a commitment to introducing a contribution model for people in international protection accommodation.

Recommendations for Government on a contribution model for people in international protection accommodation were originally developed by the then Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY) in 2024.

A proposal for working international protection applicants to contribute to the cost of their IPAS accommodation was then considered by Government in November 2025 and is now being progressed by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration.

The Department and I are not in receipt of any formal objections to the implementation of this contribution model since its announcement in November 2025, as outlined in the Deputy's question.

Implementation of the contribution to cost scheme is underway and includes the development of systems and resources to assess eligibility, share data securely and collect and process payments.

The implementation process includes procurement of an appropriate third-party provider service, and will involve further detailed analysis as the scheme comes into operation including determining the implementation cost.

The project to implement a contribution model is progressing with implementation currently scheduled for the first half of 2027.