The State is facing an “international protection emergency” and has taken necessary steps to address the influx of asylum seekers. In a case against the State over its failure to provide accommodation, Senior Council David Conlan Smith argued that the increase in asylum seekers was beyond the State’s control. The court heard that the EU saw a 59% increase in protection seekers between 2019 and 2023, while Ireland saw a 185% increase.
Conlan Smith stated that the State has provided accommodation to over 8,000 international protection applicants and has increased accommodation capacity significantly in the past two years. However, he emphasized that the real issue was the lack of accommodation.
The Council highlighted last year’s case where an asylum seeker was found to be inadequately accommodated. Since then, measures have been enhanced with an increased weekly allowance and agreements with homeless services for additional support.
Despite challenges, the State contends that it has taken necessary steps to address the accommodation issue. The court heard that suggestions to remedy the situation, such as doubling or tripling the Daily Expenses Allowance, may not fully address the obstacles to accommodation. Conlan Smith argued that accommodation cannot be scaled up rapidly and that the State has already made significant efforts to improve conditions for asylum seekers.
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