State to purchase turnkey properties to provide rapid-build homes for asylum seekers

Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman has warned Cabinet that there is an 'increasing likelihood' that families including women and children could find themselves without an offer of State accommodation in the coming weeks and or months. Picture: Damien Storan/PA

A revised plan to house asylum-seekers will see the State purchase turn-key properties, empty offices and deliver rapid-build homes in a bid to deliver 14,000 extra beds by 2028.

Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman also said the State needs 20 to 30 reception centres. A previous plan had said just six would be needed, but that was based on just 3,500 asylum seekers arriving. The reality now is between 13,000 and 16,000 people seeking international protection will arrive in Ireland every year.

The locations will include sites currently in use such as Knockalisheen in Clare, a site in Athlone, Co Westmeath, sites in Newtownmountkennedy and Trudder in Co Wicklow, and Thornton Hall in North Dublin.

The reforms will see a move away from full reliance on private providers and towards a core of State-owned accommodation, delivering 14,000 State-owned beds by 2028.

It comes as Roderic O’Gorman has warned Cabinet that there is an “increasing likelihood” that families including women and children could find themselves without an offer of State accommodation in the coming weeks and or months. A total of 1,465 male asylum seekers have not been offered State accommodation and are sleeping rough.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said between 50-70% of arrivals here every week already have IP applications in another country. She said her department is reviewing eight countries that may be added to the ‘safe countries’ list which would see faster deportations.

The revised plan will see the conversion of commercial properties to international protection with a focus on empty office blocks, acquire HSE and State lands to develop fast prefabricated units and the targeted purchase of medium and large properties in “turnkey or near turnkey condition".

Mr O'Gorman's department plans to lease two locations from the HSE and one from the Department of Justice. Rapid build prefabs will be built on this land and each IP applicant will be allowed to remain in the reception centre for six months, down from 12 months under existing criteria.

The State wants to bring larger turnkey properties onstream without having to build them and wants expressions of interest from the private sector to offer solutions which the State would purchase outright.

The Government will also further extend planning exemptions to allow for the conversion of commercial properties to accommodate asylum seekers.

Mr O’Gorman refused to say the plan's overall cost as it may impact the tendering processes and the proposed costs to the State.

However, he said Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe has increased funding to his department from €50 to €74m this year and from €100m to €114m next year and a “significant” amount will be spent on the plan.