Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a couple of questions on asylum accommodation. The Minister indicated in his opening statement that because of increased demand, it has been necessary to open six new accommodation centres, providing 567 new bed spaces to date in 2018. Will he identify the locations of the six new accommodation centres? Is it the case that, for whatever reason, some subcontracting arrangement has been made in the securing of hotel accommodation across a number of hotel facilities that are not accommodation centres? A significant number of asylum seekers are being accommodated in a range of hotels in different locations across the country but there has been no consultation with the host communities and very questionable consideration as to the suitability of the locations with respect to the needs and expectations of the asylum seekers.

The daily needs, hopes and expectations of asylum seekers for the future need to be properly evaluated but they do not appear to have been seriously considered according to some of the instances that have been flagged to me. Can the Minister comment on that? If six new accommodation centres have been designated, providing 567 new bed spaces to date this year, how many others are accommodated in non-accommodation centre facilities such as working hotels that may not have a 100% take-up of their capacity, which have been secured through a subcontracting arrangement? I am anxious to know the full facts for same.