By Dayo Ade Olusola|©M10News
Housing Crisis Correspondent,
Dublin | Saturday, 5 July 2025
Hundreds of families, including children with legal residency in Ireland, are being evicted from government-run centres – despite having nowhere else to live.
A deepening housing shortage in Ireland has left families who have been granted permission to remain in the country facing eviction from International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres, with charities warning the move could force them into homelessness.
More than 600 families, including over 2,000 people, have been told they must leave centres in places like Inchicore and Red Cow by July 4. The Government says the move is necessary to make space for new asylum seekers – but many of those being evicted say they have nowhere else to go.
One mother told M10News: “I’m working, I’ve got status, I’ve applied for hundreds of places. I’ve done everything right. Now I’m being told to leave and I don’t know where I’m going.”
“Pushed into homelessness”
NGOs and the Irish Refugee Council have criticised the evictions, warning they are being carried out without offering people a viable alternative.
“This isn’t just a housing issue, it’s a human rights issue,” said Nick Henderson, CEO of the Irish Refugee Council. “Families are being pushed from one form of homelessness into another.”
Nowhere to go despite legal status
A recent report from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) found that in several IPAS centres across Cork, Kerry, Galway, and Louth, between 20% and 42% of residents granted legal status to remain in Ireland could not find housing due to soaring rents and lack of supply.
Hiqa warned that many are becoming “trapped in direct provision,” not because of immigration bureaucracy, but because of housing market failure.
Housing supply under pressure
Government targets had aimed to build 41,000 new homes in 2025, but industry analysts and housing groups now say completions could fall as low as 25,000–35,000 due to delays in planning and rising costs.
The Central Bank of Ireland has described planning rules as a “key barrier” to building more homes quickly.
Public anger and rising pressure
Public frustration is also growing. A recent opinion poll found 61% of people believe the housing crisis has worsened under the current government.
On Saturday, housing campaigners and unions led a protest in Dublin’s city centre demanding urgent action. Groups such as Raise the Roof and CATU say housing insecurity, rising evictions and unaffordable rents are affecting thousands.
New restrictions raise fears for refugees
M10News understands that the Government is also considering a proposal to restrict access to social housing and emergency shelter for those not considered “habitually resident” – a move likely to hit new refugees and migrants hardest.
The Cabinet is expected to review the plan in the coming weeks. Critics say it would effectively lock vulnerable people out of basic safety nets.
Rent controls under review
The Government is also preparing to adjust rent controls. A new system, expected to come into force in 2026, would allow landlords to charge market rates on new tenancies or new-build homes – though rent caps for existing tenants would remain at 2% annually.
Housing experts warn this could further inflate the market and make it even harder for families on low incomes to secure a home.
“A perfect storm”
With limited emergency accommodation, falling construction output and major supply gaps, housing groups say Ireland is facing a perfect storm.
For families with legal status, full-time jobs, and children in Irish schools, eviction from State accommodation has come as a devastating blow.
“Integration is impossible without a home,” one community worker told M10News. “We’re seeing people set up to fail in a broken system.”
M10News will continue to follow developments as the housing crisis escalates.
