According to Tourism Minister Patrick O’Donovan, lodging for asylum and refuge seekers presently accounts for just 7% of hotel rooms. This is a decrease from 13% during the peak of the asylum-seeker accommodation crisis, reports The Mirror.
With 12,000 hotel beds coming back into the system last year alone, the government has also forecast that additional beds would be accessible for tourists this summer.
In response to a parliamentary inquiry regarding his plans to “address the ongoing Government policy to use hotels and tourist accommodation for International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) applicants,” Minister O’Donovan confirmed the numbers to Independent TD Mattie McGrath, reports The Mirror.
According to him, the overall percentage of hotel rooms in the State that are utilised for “humanitarian accommodation” has decreased. The availability of lodging for tourists in Ireland was significantly impacted by the current humanitarian situation, according to Mr. O’Donovan.
“At its height, 13% of all Fáilte Ireland-registered stock was taken out of the market, by the State, to provide humanitarian accommodation. Changes in government policy, plus a steady increase in new tourism bed-stock coming into the sector, have significantly improved the position, reports The Mirror.
“The most recent analysis by Fáilte Ireland, based on November 2024 data, shows that the displacement rate for Fáilte Ireland registered accommodation is now 7% nationally. The position will be reviewed further in Q2 2025 and the expectation is that the position will have improved further in advance of the peak summer tourist season this year,” reports The Mirror.
Norma Foley, who is still in charge of international protection since it hasn’t been assigned to Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, said last month that last year’s lodging costs for refugees and asylum seekers came to €1.2 billion. Over 12,000 beds were restored to the tourist industry in 2024 when contracts with 420 lodging facilities expired, she said.
She added: “Some contracts end due to compliance issues, and some are ended by the provider themselves. Further contracts will be ending in 2025 for many reasons, and this will result in vacant beds in many locations,” reports The Mirror.
Accommodation needs for Ukrainian migrants are declining and are predicted to keep declining, according to Ms. Foley. She pointed out that the government is now housing around 27,000 Ukrainians, compared to a peak of 60,000 in 2023.
She added: “Need is reducing because people are finding their own accommodation, moving to other areas, many (almost 23,000) are working now, and others are choosing to move outside of Ireland,” reports The Mirror.
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