New figures show a “massive” increase in the number of incidents recorded at IPAS centres throughout the country, and indicate a concerning trend of “transferring bad actors from one location to another”, Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín has said.
He added that the “figures are grounds for grave concern most especially given the horrendous and brutal murder of Masuma Sohrabi this week”. Ms Sohrab was living in an IPAS centre in Clifden, Co Galway, and a man who also lived in an IPAS centre is the only suspect in the case.
Data released to Deputy Tóibín from the Department of Justice shows that the number of incidents recorded soared from 5 in 2021 to 5725 in 2025 – a thousand-fold rise.
While the Department said that it should be noted that the number of people living in IPAS accommodation has increased very significantly over the last 5 years, that increase is not proportionate to the massive rise in incidents recorded.
In 2021, the Department said, some 7,000 people were in asylum accommodation. That figure now stands at 33,000 – almost a five-fold increase.
Deputy Tóibín said: “There has been a massive increase in the number of incidents in IPAS centres from 2021 to 2025. Many of these have been violent. We have seen a rise from 5 incidents in 2021 to 5725 last year. And for sure this has been caused in part by the increase of the IPAS population. But if you control the figures, to the increase in population there should have been 30 incidents last year not 5,725.”
“Critical incidents have risen from 14 to 62. Warning letters issued have increased 1,300 times. All these figures are grounds for grave concern most especially given the horrendous and brutal murder of Masuma Sohrabi this week,” he said.
The table (below) shows that warning letters issued have spiralled from just 3 in 2021 to 4,127 in 2025.
“What is really concerning is that Minister for Justice has admitted that in 544 of these cases, the perpetrator of the incidents where just transferred from what seems one IPAS centre to another. Transferring bad actors from one location to another is not a punishment, its not justice and it certainly does not protect anyone,” the Aontú leader said.
And he said that the Minister had admitted that Gardaí were not track arrest per IPAS resident – and that it was confirmed that accommodation was withdrawn from 61 people in 2024, 49 people in 2025, and 14 people in 2026.
“In 2024, 61 people had their accommodation withdrawn from them. In 2025, 47 people had their accommodation withdrawn. We are not told what wrongdoing led to the withdrawal of IPAS accommodation or where these people ended up living. The Minister does not say that these people were deported so we can only assume that these people were left to live within the general community,” Deputy Tóibín added.
“Most shockingly of all the Minister for Justice admits that the Gardaí do not track arrests as per IPAS resident. Nor does the Department of Justice collate the number of convictions that raise from these potentially violent incidents. The government is driving blind on a very serious issue. FF, FG and the Independents have a policy of literally: ‘hear no evil and see no evil’. “
“You cannot management if you cannot measure. The lack of clear analysis a dereliction of duty. It is leaving people at great risk.”
| Year | Incidents | Critical Incidents | Warning Letters | Transfers |
| 2021 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 0 |
| 2022 | 766 | 37 | 659 | 110 |
| 2023 | 2,109 | 50 | 1,559 | 177 |
| 2024 | 4,168 | 55 | 3,170 | 521 |
| 2025 | 5,725 | 62 | 4,127 | 544 |
| 2026 to date | 2,568 | 27 | 1,909 | 239 |
Deputy Tóibín has asked that the Minister for Justice reveal the total number of incidents recorded in IPAS accommodation centres in each of the past five years; and to provide a breakdown of those incidents by category, including but not limited to verbal abuse, physical assault, threats or intimidation, damage to property, substance related incidents, and other behavioural breaches. He had also asked for the number of recorded incidents in asylum accommodation centres for that period in which harm occurred to another person; the nature of that harm (physical injury, threat of violence, sexual assault, or other); whether the injured party was a resident, staff member, contractor or member of the public.
The Department said that “records are not collated to allow a breakdown of specific details as outlined in the Deputy’s questions”, but supplied the table (above) “to include statistics on incidents recorded in IPAS accommodation centres, dating back to 2021”.
The Department said that IPAS policy is to record all incidents, however minor. “Incidents that arise in centres are defined and set out in IPAS policies, from a broad scale of general, minor issues related to complaints about behaviour or noise, to incidents considered critical in that they relate to mental health or self-harm incidents, including the unexpected death of a resident,” the reply to Deputy Tóibín said.
“When any incident occurs, IPAS teams engage with centre management to resolve the issue at hand. In this regard, the Department routinely engages with all providers in relation to incident response and policy compliance. The Department also carries out regular inspections of centres to ensure policies and procedures are in place that comply with the Critical Incident Policy,” it said.
On the rise in the number of incidents, the Department said: “It should be noted when reviewing the statistics above that the number of people living in IPAS accommodation has increased very significantly over the last 5 years. Current resident numbers are approximately 33,000. Resident numbers at the end of 2021 were just over 7,000.”
“Centre management in all IPAS centres have an ongoing working relationship with the local Gardaí. If there is ever any concern in relation to acts of violence or other criminal activity in any IPAS setting, An Garda Síochána are contacted.
“In instances where there are serious or repeated breaches of the house rules, consideration may be given under Section 7 of the Regulations to amending the reception conditions afforded to a resident. This involves withdrawing IPAS accommodation.
“In circumstances where reception conditions are amended, the person will be provided with a letter from IPAS explaining why their reception conditions have been amended, that no further IPAS accommodation will be provided. They are also informed of their right to appeal the decision within 10 working days by email.
They also confirmed that accommodation was withdrawn from 61 people in 2024, 49 people in 2025, and 14 people in 2026.