The Department of Justice and Migration says it works "at all times" to ensure that "the extremely limited accommodation capacity" for people seeking asylum in Ireland is used in the "best and most effective way", after the Irish Refugee Council expressed "deep concern" that the current policy is "dangerous".
In a letter to Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan, the council's chief executive Nick Henderson detailed yesterday how approximately 20 asylum applicants, who tried to sleep rough, were "moved on by gardaí who told them to go back to the airport and leave the country".
Mr Henderson added: "This current policy, that requires men to sleep rough to demonstrate need for accommodation, is dangerous, erodes public confidence in our asylum process, places additional pressure on busy charities, places enormous pressure and risk on individual volunteers."
The Department of Justice responded that any media questions surrounding the actions of the gardaí should be following up with its press office.
On the issue of accommodation, however, it said while the demand for IPAS accommodation "remains very high", after a surge in 2023 and 2024, a reduction in new applications has allowed it to review the causes of people on the waiting list, "prioritising those people who are most vulnerable or those with families".
"The review has reduced the number of unaccommodated people from over 3,500 in March to 613 in October 2025," the statement said.
The Department added people who are not offered accommodation are given a weekly allowance of €113.80 per week, an increase of €75 from the standard weekly allowance for asylum-seekers.
It stated: "We have put arrangements in place with a range of NGO partners to provide drop-in day services so people can access facilities including hot showers, meals and laundry services."
The State is currently accommodating almost 33,000 people seeking international protection in 319 IPAS centres around the country.
Speaking yesterday, the Social Democrats housing spokesperson, Rory Hearne, condemned the treatment of asylum seekers, particularly those without accomodation.
He said: "It is wrong for the Irish state to be treating people in this inhumane way. They are human beings - brothers, fathers, sons, mothers, daughters - they cannot and should not be left on the streets shelterless."
"There are still huge numbers of empty State buildings that could be temporarily refurbished to provide shelter to these vulnerable people," he concluded.
The Labour Party's housing spokesperson, Conor Sheehan, agreed with the Irish Refugee Council's analysis.
"This is a dangerous and inhumane way to treat way to treat vulnerable people many of whom have arrived here fleeing war and persecution," he said.
"Minister O'Callaghan boasted after the budget about reducing the IPAS Budget yet the result of that is people being put in danger on the streets.
"There is capacity in the IPAS system and these men should be accommodated using that capacity. There will be plenty of hand wringing if someone dies sleeping on the streets but that is an inevitability if this continues."
