Almost €1 billion was paid to commercial operators to provide accommodation services to asylum seekers last year, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has disclosed. In contrast, the average cost per person per night in Westmeath was €55, and it was €59 in both Tipperary and Cavan. The figure for Dublin was €78 per person per night, and €72 per person per night in Cork. All 18 gardaí assigned to Connemara and the Aran Islands are proficient in Irish. Only five of the 26 gardaí assigned to the Gaeltacht areas extending from Gweedore to Falcarragh to Carraig have proficiency in Irish.

Source: The Irish Times October 20, 2025 21:49 UTC