The chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Brian Stanley, has predicted that if the influx of people applying for international protection (IP) in Ireland seen in the first quarter of this year continues, the total numbers could cross the 20,000 mark. This would be a staggering increase from just a few years ago when the figure stood at 3,000, he said.
Stanley’s comments came in the wake of a discussion by officials from the Department of Integration with the committee about the expenditure associated with housing Ukrainian refugees and other IP applicants. They quoted that a high of 5,100 asylum seekers had landed in Ireland within the first three months of the year – a growth of 75% on the 2,900 arrivals during the equivalent period the previous year.
The Department of Justice data suggests that the figures for IP claims made during the second, third and fourth quarters each year are typically higher compared to the first quarter. If this trend continues this year, the total IP applications could significantly exceed the 12,300 in 2021 and 12,600 in 2022.
Peadar Tóibín, Leader of Aontú, expressed concerns that the government may struggle to handle the growing number of arrivals. He cautioned that the surge might prove unsustainable.
Kevin McCarthy, secretary general of the department, informed the committee that last year saw outgoings of over €2 billion to private entities and individuals offering accommodation. Of this, €1.49 billion was allocated for converting former hotels, guest houses and other structures to house Ukrainian refugees. An additional €640 million was paid to private operators for IP applicants.
Concerning these high payments given to private operators, independent TD Verona Murphy commented that this practice was practically ‘creating oligarchs’ out of those who invested in decommissioned hotels, and she questioned the value for money delivered by this expenditure.
Echoing her sentiments, Stanley mentioned that the sums paid out to these private operators were enormous and laid out potential issues if economic conditions deteriorated or state revenues fell, which may make sourcing the annual funding of €2-3 billion challenging.
Mr McCarthy together with deputy secretary David Delaney reported that private lodging costs were 2.5 times more than publicly-owned housing, amounting to €76 per individual daily for the former, and €30 for the latter. This significant price discrepancy was highlighted by Imelda Munster, a representative from Sinn Féin.
Marc Ó Cathasaigh, an MP from the Green Party, questioned the department’s capability to negotiate fiercely on behalf of the government to ensure maximizing value for money, while also transitioning towards superior service providers.
Several MPs expressed disapproval over the decisions to utilise the remaining available hotels in certain areas as temporary shelter, arguing that local communities and their representatives weren’t adequately consulted.
During the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine, Mr McCarthy stated that the department might have accepted some contracts at an inflated cost while struggling to provide for the influx of arrivals. Currently, they use a fixed rate card for all future and renewing contracts, with increased expertise from personnel reassigned from other departments to make sure the government receives value for its expenditure.
Mr Delaney disclosed that the department aimed to solicit interest for ready-made solutions that would enable the government to purchase accommodation to house up to 14,000 immigration applicants by 2028.
Fianna Fáil MP James O’Connor was informed by Mr McCarthy that the use of government-provided housing by refugees from Ukraine was decreasing, and the influx of new refugees from the country had notably diminished since the previous November.