Government overspent 607m euro on international protection accommodation in 2024

The Government recorded a 607 million euro overspend on international protection accommodation in 2024, according to a new report published by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday.

In total, the Government spent 2.3 billion euro on international protection and Ukraine accommodation and related costs in that year, according to the report on international protection and temporary
protection (Ukraine) expenditure 2024.

Of that, 1.6 billion was spent on international protection accommodation, an overspend of almost 150% on the 409 million euro allowance provided.

The report said “evidence indicated that expenditure was substantial, driven by the combined impact of large international protection inflows, limited State-owned capacity and continued reliance on commercial providers.”

The responsibility for the provision of this accommodation moved from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in May 2025, headed by Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan.

The department attributed the cost pressure to rapid emergency expansion undertaken during 2022-2024, when accommodation requirements rose from 7,000 to around 33,000 beds.

The number of new applicants in 2024 was the highest in the history of the State, representing an increase compared with 2022/2023.

The committee recommended that the department set out, within nine months, a detailed plan for expanding State-owned international protection accommodation services (IPAS) accommodation.

It found that 978 million euro of the 2024 total was for commercial centres, with the highest-paid single contractor receiving 45.55 million euro.

The department estimated that the average cost per applicant, based on accommodation and related costs including facilities management, transport and utilities, was 84 euro per night in 2024, although this increased to 97 euro per night in 2025.

Excluding ancillary costs, commercial providers were paid 71 euro per applicant per night in 2025 while State-owned accommodation averaged 40 euro per night.

The report said that “this underpins the medium-term policy objective to expand the latter type of accommodation”.

The committee made 13 recommendations in relation to the accommodation, but acknowledged evidence that the department had already implemented some improvements since 2024.

While the report focused on that year, it found that in 2025 1.22 billion euro was spent on IPAS centre beds, with an additional capital cost of 150 million, principally for the redevelopment of Citywest IPAS centre.

The revised estimate for 2026 provides 1.18 billion euro current and 40 million euro in capital.

The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration recorded an underspend of 280 million euro for Ukraine accommodation in 2024, the report found.

The 1.21 billion euro spend was less than the 1.49 billion provided, the report said, because of “reduced commercial accommodation costs, due to a lower number of beneficiaries of temporary protection arrivals being accommodated and the ongoing consolidation of the Ukraine accommodation portfolio”.

Launching the report, PAC cathaoirleach John Brady said the committee was cognisant that the accommodation impacts human lives and is focused on delivering effective services and value-for-money, rather than any commentary on immigration policy.

“The committee recognises that the matters addressed in this report relate to individuals and families seeking protection and support, and that the provision of accommodation has a direct and significant impact on people’s lives,” the Sinn Féin TD said.

“The committee is also mindful of the exceptional circumstances that necessitated the rapid expansion of accommodation supports in recent years.

“In undertaking this examination, the committee’s role is confined to the scrutiny of public expenditure, governance and value-for-money. In accordance with standing orders, the committee does not assess the merits of Government policy, including immigration or international protection policy.”

The committee explored the question of applicants remaining in accommodation centres after being granted international protection, a situation, it said, “with clear cost implications for the department but also, in the context of the housing crisis, no immediately obvious solution”.

The department said in October 2025 that, though 10,000 successful applicants moved out in the preceding 28 months, around 5,000 of the 33,000 IPAS residents remain accommodated despite having been granted status.

The committee also notes figures provided in March by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) that revealed 559 individuals and 29 families who had previously been accommodated by IPAS presented to DRHE homelessness services in 2024.

This fell to 450 individuals in 2025, which still represented around 25% of such presentations that year.

The department responded that it does not allow people to exit from IPAS accommodation to homelessness and that individuals may present as homeless for a wide range of reasons unrelated to their previous residence in IPAS accommodation.

On a separate issue, the report also found the department spent 661 million euro on justice in 2024, an increase of almost 20% from the total gross expenditure of 551 million euro in 2023.

Of that, 404 million euro was related to criminal justice while 257 million euro was civil justice expenditure.