THE GOVERNMENT IS once again able to offer accommodation to all newly arrived asylum seekers for the first time since January.

On 24 January, the Department of Integration paused the provision of emergency shelter to asylum seekers.

Minister Roderic O’Gorman said on 24 January that he envisaged the closure would “be potentially a number of weeks”.

In a statement at the time, a spokesperson from the Department said: “The response to the ongoing migration crisis has now entered an extremely difficult phase, with insufficient accommodation available nationwide for International Protection applicants, and the outlook for accommodation for people fleeing the war in Ukraine is also challenging.”

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) continued to provide accommodation for families with children in the interim.

Since 24 January. 1,542 asylum seekers went without accommodation at some point.

A statement from the Department this evening read: “The Department is now in a position to offer accommodation to all International Protection applicants.

“However, the accommodation system remains under pressure and the situation will be kept under close review.”