The latest weekly bulletin from International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS), published on 6 March 2026, shows 33,137 people now living in State-provided accommodation – a small dip from the year-end figure but still nearly five times pre-pandemic levels. The report covers the week ending 1 March 2026 and records 179 new arrivals, averaging 26 per day. Single men remain the largest cohort (49 %), followed by children (21 %). Nigeria, Somalia and Pakistan top the nationality table, while Dublin City, South Dublin and Sligo carry the heaviest occupancy loads.
![Asylum Accommodation Hits 33,137 as Weekly IPAS Report Flags Capacity Strain]()
For those weighing alternative, regular migration pathways—whether for study, work or family reunion—VisaHQ offers step-by-step support with Irish visa applications, from customised document checklists to appointment scheduling. The platform’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can help applicants avoid errors and delays, providing a practical complement to official guidance.
Emergency capacity at Citywest Transit Hub stands at 6,942 persons, a reminder that contingency beds opened in late 2023 have become semi-permanent fixtures. For policy-makers the numbers underscore the challenge of scaling reception capacity ahead of the Temporary Protection Directive’s sunset in 2027. Government is racing to diversify accommodation through the ‘Offer a Home’ pledged-property scheme and a newly launched modular-housing programme, but planning hurdles and local opposition continue to delay roll-outs. Corporate relocation programmes are feeling knock-on effects. With short-stay hotels block-booked by the State, consultants report higher prices and reduced availability for assignee temporary housing, particularly around Dublin and Cork. Some employers are responding by staggering assignment start dates or negotiating longer remote-work lead-ins until permanent housing can be secured. The IPAS data will feed into the Cabinet Committee on Housing and Migration later this month, where ministers are expected to discuss a controversial proposal to cap time in reception centres at 18 months for single adults who receive a first-instance refusal – a measure aimed at freeing capacity but criticised by NGOs as premature given current appeal backlogs.
For those weighing alternative, regular migration pathways—whether for study, work or family reunion—VisaHQ offers step-by-step support with Irish visa applications, from customised document checklists to appointment scheduling. The platform’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) can help applicants avoid errors and delays, providing a practical complement to official guidance.
Emergency capacity at Citywest Transit Hub stands at 6,942 persons, a reminder that contingency beds opened in late 2023 have become semi-permanent fixtures. For policy-makers the numbers underscore the challenge of scaling reception capacity ahead of the Temporary Protection Directive’s sunset in 2027. Government is racing to diversify accommodation through the ‘Offer a Home’ pledged-property scheme and a newly launched modular-housing programme, but planning hurdles and local opposition continue to delay roll-outs. Corporate relocation programmes are feeling knock-on effects. With short-stay hotels block-booked by the State, consultants report higher prices and reduced availability for assignee temporary housing, particularly around Dublin and Cork. Some employers are responding by staggering assignment start dates or negotiating longer remote-work lead-ins until permanent housing can be secured. The IPAS data will feed into the Cabinet Committee on Housing and Migration later this month, where ministers are expected to discuss a controversial proposal to cap time in reception centres at 18 months for single adults who receive a first-instance refusal – a measure aimed at freeing capacity but criticised by NGOs as premature given current appeal backlogs.
