600 families to be moved out of IPAS centres as charity calls for relocation of over 2,000 people to be delayed
Charity workers close to the 2,042 people who have received notice to leave have asked that the exits be delayed.
The Department has said the families were informed about the planned relocation a year ago and were sent a follow-up letter in March.
The first move will take place tomorrow and will continue on a phased basis for the rest of the summer.
The transfer procedure began under the previous government when the Department of Children was responsible for the accommodation of international protection applicants.
In the past 18 months, over 7,000 people with status have left IPAS accommodation, after the Department of Justice took over responsibility.
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A spokesperson for the department said that everyone who had been notified would be moved, except for 'very rare circumstances' such as medical reasons.
The Department of Housing has confirmed they are seeing an increased demand for homes from families who have recently left Direct Provision accommodation.
The Government has acknowledged that while numbers arriving had reduced compared to 2024, they said: 'There is still on average 1,000 people applying for international protection every month.'
A statement from the Department of Justice said: 'Of our nearly 33,000 residents, approximately 5,300 people have completed their application process and have received a positive decision. This means they have a legal status that allows them to remain in Ireland, and to work.
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'It also means that they are no longer entitled to IPAS accommodation. However, they are now able to access the full range of housing support available to all Irish residents. These housing supports are not available to people who are still going through the international protection application process.'
Some of the families who have been told that they have to leave today and have accepted a transfer to emergency accommodation remain unaware where they will end up, according to the Irish Refugee Council.
APPROACH CONCERNS
In a statement, it said: 'We are particularly concerned that families who do not accept a transfer will be pushed into already overstretched homeless services and are at high risk of rough sleeping during this transition.'
In a statement, the Irish Refugee Council said the rise in homelessness among people leaving Direct Provision was as a direct result of Government policy.
At a recent Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Director of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive Mary Hayes also expressed concern about the approach.
She said: 'We are concerned about institutional discharge from one institution into another. That does not seem to be well-thought through or a planned approach to homelessness. That is particularly so with IPAS which is driving about a quarter of the presentations of single homelessness.'
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On average, 1,000 people are applying for international protection every month here
Credit: Bryan Meade - The Times
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