Almost 380 Ipas residents in Cork granted permission to remain in the State 

Almost 380 people living in International Protection Accommodation Service (Ipas) accommodation in Cork have already been granted permission to stay in Ireland, new data shows.

Figures provided to Sinn Féin TD Eoin Ó Broin show that as of September, 108 people in Cork city and 261 in Cork county have been granted legal status to remain in the country, but remain living in Ipas accommodation.

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said: “The State is currently accommodating almost 33,000 people in 318 Ipas centres around the country, over 9,500 of whom are children.

“At the moment, almost 5,000 people in Ipas accommodation have a legal status allowing them to remain in Ireland. This is not a static number of people; approximately 11,000 people with status have moved out of Ipas accommodation since 2022, and almost 3,500 this year to date.

“When a person completes their international protection application and receives a positive decision, they have a legal status that allows them to remain in Ireland. This also means they gain access to the full range of housing supports available to all Irish residents, which are not available to people going through the application process,” said Mr O’Callaghan.

Need

“There is a need for people with status to transition living independently in our communities, improving their integration into our society while also creating space within Ipas accommodation for newer arrivals.”

Mr O’Callaghan said it is essential that Ipas maintains enough accommodation to meet the needs of new applicants, who have a legal entitlement to Ipas accommodation, do not have immediate access to the labour market, and do not have access to standard housing benefits or standard social welfare entitlements.

“To help people move from Ipas accommodation to find housing options in the community, Ipas has a team that works in collaboration with DePaul Ireland, the Peter McVerry Trust, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and local authorities.”