THE 24 EMERGENCY accommodation centres used to house people seeking emergency protection in this country are to be closed by the end of this year. 

The move is part of the government’s plan to end the institutionalised Direct Provision system by 2024.

As part of that aim, the government’s white paper has set out plans to replace the current system with a model that would see people seeking asylum placed in State-owned centres for up to four months and then supported to move into local housing. 

According to recent figures, there are approximately 5,225 people living in Direct Provision at present and 1,185 people living in hotels and B&Bs.

A total of €51.3 million has been spent on Emergency Accommodation since May 2020.

Minister for Equality and Integration Roderic O’Gorman stated earlier this year that it was his department’s main aim to end the use of Emergency Accommodation in 2021. Emergency Accommodation has been widely criticised as sub-standard even by current Direct Provision centre standards.

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The are currently 24 such centres providing Emergency Accommodation and the department has said it is planned that they “will be decommissioned by the end of 2021″.  this year. 

- With reporting by Cónal Thomas