2589 people placed in accommodation since February 26th
Galway Bay FM Newsroom - Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has worked as part of the whole-of-Government response to meet the immediate accommodation needs of those fleeing the conflict.
Accommodation
As unprecedented numbers of people arrive into Ireland fleeing Ukraine, International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) is continuing to adapt to accommodate these arrivals. Since the conflict began, IPAS have placed 2589 people in temporary accommodation. IPAS will continue to ramp up operations to ensure that this increased demand can be met.
In recent days, IPAS has contracted over 2,500 hotel rooms, with additional capacity also being pursued through:
Hotels, guest houses and B&Bs
Accommodation pledged by the general public;
State-owned or private properties which may be suitable for short-term accommodation;
Religious properties; and Local authority facilities.
IPAS will continue its work to source accommodation over the coming days, working to address pressures on the system as effectively as possible, but there will be a significant challenge in the coming days due to the high occupancy rate during the bank holiday weekend.
Pledges
To date, almost 20,000 pledges for accommodation and other supports have been registered with the Irish Red Cross (IRC). The Department will begin to accommodate Ukrainians in this accommodation in the coming days. This will focus initially on vacant homes that have been pledged.
While the Department sees this accommodation as a key part of the crisis response, it is vital that checks are carried out to ensure the appropriateness of the accommodation and the safety of all involved. It is intended that the pledged accommodation will be drawn from over the coming weeks and the Department, along with the IRC is working hard to expedite this as a matter of urgency.
Vetting
The Department is working to source accommodation as quickly as possible while also considering all safety issues. At all times, the safety and security of displaced Ukrainians must be ensured.
The Department is working closely with An Garda Síochána, the Department of Justice, Tusla and the Irish Red Cross on arrangements for vetting.
Speaking on the crisis response, Minister O’Gorman said:
“My Department is working as a matter of urgency to accommodate those people who arrive in Ireland fleeing the war in Ukraine. In the previous five days we have commissioned a level of accommodation ordinarily be procured over five months.
“The outpouring of solidarity and support from the public in making pledges of accommodation has been incredible. I want to again thank those who have made these pledges and pay tribute to the volunteers and staff at the Irish Red Cross for their hard work on this system.
“We are now taking the next steps of vetting and approving this accommodation so that it can be utilised as soon as possible. This process will be expedited as much as possible, but it is vital that we build these checks into our system to ensure the safety of all involved.
“Given the high rates of hotel occupancy for St Patrick’s Day and the bank holiday weekend, alongside increasing numbers fleeing Ukraine, we are expecting significant pressure on accommodation in the coming days. The Department is working through these challenges with colleagues across Government.”
