Revealed: Number of IPAS residents with refugee status in Waterford
While Waterford had 142 refugees living in housing provided by the International Protection system on February 11, that number is significantly lower than other counties and just 2.6% of the national total.
There are only 142 people living in International Protection Accommodation Service in Waterford at present who have been given refugee status, according to the Department of Integration.
Nationally, only 16% of IPAS residents have secured refugee status to remain in the country, with the remaining sum in the process of having their claims evaluated. The overall number of IPAS residents in Waterford is significantly larger than the number of refugees living in the service.
The data comes in response to a query from the Sinn Féin housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Norma Foley.
While Waterford had 142 refugees living in housing provided by the International Protection system on February 11, that number is significantly lower than other counties and just 2.6% of the national total.
The county with the greatest number of people refugee status in IPAS housing was Dublin with 1,637, followed by Cork with 440, Donegal with 381, and Galway with 316. Nationally, three-quarters of those figures are women and children.
Minister Foley said that those in the process of applying for international protection, who would not have refugee status and would not be covered in these statistics, “do not have access to standard social protection or housing benefits.”
Once granted International Protection and Permission to Remain status they receive support in seeking accommodation outside of the IPAS housing service.
“Where a person progresses through the application and review process and receives a grant of status or permission to remain in Ireland, their status in terms of access to housing becomes the same as other people living in Ireland and Irish citizens,” the Minister said.
“All those with Permission to Remain are written to once status has been granted and are advised that given their progress through the IP process, they will need to seek alternative accommodation.
“They are supported to register with a Local Authority and, if required, avail of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to secure alternative accommodation.”
The Minister said that, nationally in 2024, “approximately 5,000 people with status progressed out of the IPAS accommodation system” and that her Department “is very mindful of the challenges that exist for people in trying to move on from the international protection system” in the Irish housing market.
