Direct provision centres in Kerry have contracted capacities in excess of 500 residents.
This is according to information compiled by the Department of Equality and Integration.
The Department of Equality and Integration has responsibility to provide accommodation for those seeking asylum; the Department of Justice previously held this responsibility.
The latest (IPAS) International Protection Accommodation Services report, dated October of last year, shows there are six direction provision accommodations in Kerry for asylum seekers.
The number of asylum seekers in each varies.
The department has contracts with each provider which outline capacity limits; five of the six Kerry centres have capacities between 88 and 100 residents.
Previous reports show the total capacity of asylum seeker accommodation in the county has increased in recent years; in 2017, contracts were in place to accommodate 335 residents in the county.
As of October 2021, there were contracts in place to accommodate 521 asylum seekers in Kerry.
Last year, the government published its plan to end the decades-old direct provision system.
