Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has commented on reports that the Government spent €1bn on refugee accommodation services in the first six months of the year.

The Cork South Central TD was speaking after reporting by The Business Post regarding companies that had made the largest profits, with some 13 companies making over €5m.

Teachta Ó Laoghaire said:

“The eye watering sums underline the serious flaws in the Government’s approach to providing accommodation for people seeking international protection.

“The Government’s strategy was to scramble around in a desperate and chaotic way as they tried to secure hotels and other forms of accommodation.

“The excessive reliance of the Government on privately owned accommodation had led to a chaotic approach, was bad value for money and had led to huge sums being made by these private companies.

“As reported earlier this year, according to information received by Sinn Féin under Parliamentary Question, the cost of providing privately funded accommodation is approximately €80 a day per person, whereas it is €30 in state provided accommodation.

“They continued with this strategy for the last two years now, despite concerns from across the opposition that this was failing asylum seekers, and failing communities. 

“The government has created a system where less than 4% of IPAS beds are state-owned – this leaves the state at the will of private providers to set costs and capacity. 

“Even now, with the Government having in theory accepted the argument that publicly provided is better, this is a rhetorical commitment. Their most recent accommodation strategy provided a target of 40% state-owned beds. We believe this target is insufficient and more importantly, lacks implementation by the government. 

“Our plan is distinctly different from the government’s approach. 

“Under Sinn Féin, the majority of IPAS beds would be state owned. We will transition our IP accommodation system to make greater use of purpose-built state-owned beds and reduce our reliance on profit-driven commercial providers which are often of poor quality, in unsuitable locations and substantially more expensive to operate.

“State provided accommodation allows for better planning, better value for money, and better standards. We also believe that HIQA and the Children’s Ombudsman should have the power to inspect accommodation to ensure that no one is living in accommodation that is unsuitable or unsanitary. 

“Sinn Féin will cut the profiteering by private interests and prioritise investing in a more sustainable IP accommodation system over the long-term.”