2025 Overview Report on IPAS Centres
03 March 2026
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has published its 2025 overview report on the monitoring and inspection of International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres in Ireland.
This is HIQA’s second year inspecting IPAS centres against the National Standards for accommodation offered to people in the protection process. At present, 30 accommodation centres fall under HIQA’s remit. These represent approximately 10% of all accommodation settings for people seeking international protection in Ireland.
The report shows that there have been important improvements since 2024. Many service providers made changes in key areas that directly impact residents’ quality of life. In 2025, 91% of staff working in centres were vetted by An Garda Síochána, an increase of 26% since 2024. Safeguarding policies were in place in 93% of centres, and 90% of centres had risk management policies in place, a significant increase compared to the previous year. The report also notes improvements in governance, oversight and the overall standard of accommodation.
HIQA carried out 37 inspections during 2025, including 23 unannounced inspections. Inspectors met with 725 residents, including 487 adults and 238 children and young people. In addition, 289 questionnaires were completed by residents. Listening to residents remains a central part of HIQA’s monitoring work.
The report highlights that many residents shared positive experiences. Almost 90% of adults said they were happy living in their accommodation centre, and 97% of children and young people said they felt safe living there. The average length of stay in accommodation centres was 16 months for both adults and children. Many residents spoke about feeling welcomed by local communities and supported by centre staff.
However, the report also identifies serious ongoing challenges across the wider accommodation system. There continues to be a significant strain on capacity, with demand exceeding supply. As a result, 44% of centres inspected were overcrowded, an increase compared to 2024. In one centre, 96 adults were living in tented accommodation. In addition, 29% of centres inspected had significant health and safety concerns, including issues relating to fire safety, structural problems, mould and pests.
HIQA notes that while improvements are evident in centres under its remit, 90% of IPAS accommodation settings nationally do not fall under independent monitoring. By the end of December 2025, there were 313 international protection accommodation settings housing over 32,900 people, but only 30 of these were subject to HIQA inspection.
Commenting on the findings, HIQA emphasised the importance of continuing progress and addressing overcrowding and system capacity. The report calls for urgent efforts to ensure that accommodation is safe, rights-based and capable of meeting demand.