Budget allocation for international protection next year is lower than likely 2023 cost

The number of people in International Protection Application Services (IPAS) accommodation centres as of October 8th was 24,358, according to the Department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth, and the provision of the service is expected to cost €660 million this year.

The allocation in Budget 2024 for the current and capital funding of IPAS accommodation is €409 million, a spokesman said, adding that providing accommodation for international protection applicants (IPAs) is a “demand-led” process.

“In 2022, over 15,000 IPAs arrived in Ireland, the largest number of arrivals accommodated since records began. The total spend on IPAS accommodation in 2022 was €356,554,000. There were 19,202 people in IPAS accommodation on December 31st, 2022.”

In respect of people fleeing the war in Ukraine, the department has been allocated just under €1.5 billion for 2024 to meet the cost of accommodation, meals, transport, facilities management, logistics, etc, the spokesman said.

These costs are in respect of services for Ukrainians already arrived and Ukrainians yet to arrive, he said. There are currently 73,000 Ukrainians who have fled the war being given State-supported accommodation, he said. It is not possible to say how many the State may have to cater for next year. “The numbers arriving daily and seeking accommodation continues to vary from day to day.”

In a report published by the Department of Finance on budget day, an estimate of €2.5 billion was allocated to provide for Ukrainians fleeing the war in 2024, up from an estimate of €2 billion for 2023, with about two-thirds of the money going to the Department of Children, Equality, Integration, Disability and Youth, for the provision of accommodation.

The Department of Social Protection was to receive the next-largest proportion of the allocation, at 22 per cent, followed by spending on education split between the Department of Further and Higher Education and the Department of Education.