Irish Examiner View: Profiting from asylum seekers a lucrative business for many hotels

Ipas will not discuss its contracts with individual hoteliers, but it seems the State could soon be paying close to €295,000 a week for the use of one hotel.

A protest against direct provision takes place at Leinster House in 2020. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

It is Government policy that direct provision will end by December 2024 and be replaced by a system of mostly “own-door” accommodation facilities for asylum seekers. But before it ends, the system is readying for one last costly splurge.

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) has just closed off a tender for another panel of hoteliers to provide accommodation over the next 34 months, which will cost up to €500m. A large slice of this will be paid to hoteliers, according to tender documents.