Bed spaces for more than 500 asylum seekers remain unused

Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman confirmed that the properties have been certified by a 'competent person' but are awaiting sign-off by local authority fire officers.

Bed spaces for more than 500 asylum seekers are lying unused because they await sign-off by a fire safety officer.

Seven properties, with 503 beds, have been offered to the Department of Integration to house international protection (IP) applicants.

However, despite the properties being ready to use, the process of moving in asylum seekers has been delayed as they await sign-off from fire officers in the local authority system.

The delayed sign-off comes at a time when the Department of Integration is unable to provide accommodation to all asylum seekers arriving in the State.

Responding to a parliamentary question by Fine Gael TD Fergus O’Dowd, Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman confirmed that the sites in question have been certified by a “competent person” but are awaiting sign-off by local authority fire officers.

Before properties can be contracted by the International Protection Accommodation Services (Ipas), providers are required to provide detailed information, including fire certificates, to the department.

Local authorities have a regulatory role for any properties being brought into use as Ipas centres, particularly on building, planning, and fire safety regulations.

“Once all documentation is received, the department continues to engage with the appropriate fire certification authorities to ensure fire certification is up to date and once evidence of sign-off is received from the relevant authorities and provided to the department, a contract is signed for the use of the property,” said Mr O’Gorman.

Mr O’Dowd said the Department of Integration needs to appoint independent fire safety officers to speed up the fire certification process and prevent IP applicants from being forced to sleep on the streets.

A spokesperson for the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) said they had previously told the Government that there is capacity in the system to accommodate IP applicants.

'Potential capacity'

“People should be accommodated in safe locations, but in theory, the figures show there is potential capacity. What is needed is more inter-departmental co-operation in identifying capacity, fast-tracking safety and fire checks, refurbishments, and other measures needed before people move in,” the spokesperson said.

It comes as the latest figures from the Department of Integration show that there are 147 asylum seekers without State-provided accommodation.

Since last Monday, there have been 185 new arrivals who were left unaccommodated at some point, with 19 subsequently being offered accommodation following a triage for vulnerabilities. A further 19 have also been offered accommodation.

The Department of Integration said all male IP applicants who present to the International Protection Office are assessed by Ipas and HSE staff for significant vulnerabilities and health issues and are prioritised for accommodation as necessary.

Due to the accommodation shortfall, any IP applicant who does not receive a bed will be eligible to receive a €75 top-up to the standard weekly €38.80 subsistence payment.