John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the opportunity to raise this matter on the Adjournment. It concerns the conversion in Clondalkin village of what was an hotel to an accommodation facility for asylum seekers. In recent days, concerns have been raised over the fact that this hotel was converted without the knowledge of the local authority, councillors or Members of this House who represent the area. A silent deal seems to have been done without due regard to the local community. I have mentioned the matter to the Minister who indicated to me that details of the arrangement were unknown to him in advance. The deal has effectively converted an 80-room hotel in Clondalkin village into accommodation for up to 250 asylum seekers.

While I fully understand and appreciate that such accommodation is necessary, in this particular instance the location is most inappropriate. It is inappropriate to try to locate 60 to 80 families in a hotel with no balconies, not an inch of green space and in an environment where all the local schools are short of capacity and have waiting lists for pupils. This year, one of the schools in Clondalkin village had to arrange for additional capacity in a third classroom.

The asylum hostel, as it is referred to locally, has come into being without anybody in the community having been contacted or consulted. The long-term needs of asylum seekers in the hostel have not been considered and neither have the needs of the community. There is a strong sense of disappointment that the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, which is ultimately responsible, has not become engaged in the matter in any sense. Ultimately, it will be a matter for the local authority and probably An Bord Pleanála to determine if the significant change in use from a hotel to a long-term residential facility requires planning permission. Although the change was significant, there has been no consultation with the local community.

I have a number of questions for the Minister of State. Can he postpone any further expansion of the facility until the community, the local authority and local representatives, including myself, are consulted about future developments? Will discussions be entered into with the local authority to see if planning permission is required for such a change of use? Will discussions be held with the Department of Education and Science to determine what will be the requirements, if any, of those residing in this asylum facility? Will the Minister of State determine whether this is an appropriate facility?

The facility does not have a single balcony or open area. When one walks out the back door of the hostel one is in a builders' providers yard on a main road, which seems most inappropriate. I have noticed that colleagues who might be election candidates for some of the Opposition parties have raised fears about the facility. I agree with some of their concerns. It would be more appropriate to locate such a facility elsewhere because its current location will be of no benefit to asylum seekers or the local community. It should be abandoned.

It is most frustrating that neither I nor other local representatives, including the Minister for Health and Children, were informed of this project in advance. It was up and running before we knew about it. When representatives from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform attend the Committee of Public Accounts tomorrow to discuss certain other sites which have been acquired, they will refer to the Department's openness. However, there was no openness in this instance and absolutely no consultation or advance notice was given of the impact on the community. We are most disappointed but I believe the Minister was personally unaware of the decision because I meet him regularly and, if he had known the facts, he would have revealed them to me.

I urge the Minister to halt further work on this project until we have engaged in meaningful negotiations, which will be necessary if the hostel is to become part of our community. In the interests of the community and the possible future residents of the institution, it cannot just be thrown into Clondalkin.

Conor Lenihan (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate Deputy Curran's decision to raise this matter on behalf of his constituents in Clondalkin. The reception and integration agency, RIA, is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers and is obliged to provide sufficient accommodation at all times to cater for the needs of persons who apply to the State for recognition as refugees under the 1951 Geneva Convention. The service provided by the RIA is demand driven and must be capable of expanding and contracting in line with the numbers arriving into the State. The task of providing accommodation presents considerable challenges to the RIA, which must continuously and actively manage its accommodation portfolio in regard to overall numbers, geographic location and value for money. Changes in asylum policy can also place new demands on the geographical spread of accommodation.

The RIA's portfolio currently consists of 55 centres accommodating 5,224 persons throughout the State. The agency provides accommodation to asylum seekers primarily by way of direct provision, that is on a full board basis, as per a Government decision on this matter. A small amount of self-catering accommodation is available and prioritised for persons with medical needs. The current accommodation portfolio is made up of seven State owned direct provision centres, 41 commercially owned direct provision centres and nine commercially owned self-catering centres. Under the commercial arrangements, the RIA does not acquire the property in the sense of purchasing it but contracts the properties for a fixed period in order to provide accommodation and board for asylum seekers at fixed prices.

I reiterate that the RIA operates within a continuously changing dynamic and decisions on accommodation are made on the basis of the needs and requirements facing the agency at any time. The agency operates with a view to achieving the best value for money for the Department and the State. The Deputy should appreciate that demand driven organisations such as the RIA have to make decisions in real time and on the basis of available information. A delicate balance has to be struck between long-term plans and budgetary responsibilities. As part of this active portfolio management process and under responsibilities laid on all public bodies by the national public procurement framework, the RIA advertised in the national press on 10 July 2006 for expressions of interest from persons with regard to providing accommodation and ancillary services for asylum seekers. It was in this context that an offer of accommodation in Clondalkin was made to the agency. The Tánaiste also pointed out that the property in question was assessed by the RIA as suitable and that an arrangement was entered into without reference to him.

In this instance, the urgent need for a new facility in Dublin, coupled with the commercial sensitivities surrounding the acquisition of the property prevented the RIA from engaging in any advance consultation process with local service providers. As soon as it was possible to do so the RIA contacted, and is currently liaising with, relevant Departments and agencies to overcome any initial difficulties in this regard. Discussions have opened with the relevant support groups and service providers and will intensify over the coming weeks.

As regards the running of the centres, this is largely done through partnership initiatives with the commercial sector through fixed term contracts for the provision of accommodation and ancillary services. These contracts include all day-to-day requirements, including full-board accommodation, heating, lighting, toiletries, laundry, housekeeping, cleaning materials and security. Such a contract applies to the new centre at Clondalkin. The Deputy will be aware that asylum seekers access many State services on exactly the same basis as the indigenous population.

The Tánaiste would be concerned if the opening of this centre has generated fears and concerns within the local community. This centre will accommodate some 65 families who have sought the protection of the State. The Deputy can be assured that the RIA will work with all the stakeholders to address any fears that may arise. Furthermore, it should be noted that the Tánaiste's constituency contains five accommodation centres for asylum seekers operating under the aegis of the RIA which accommodate some 320 persons. There is no question, therefore, of Clondalkin or any other area being expected to shoulder a disproportionate burden in terms of the State meeting its obligations to asylum seekers.

I note the Deputy's request for a postponement of the expansion so that the local authority and the Department of Education and Science can be consulted. I will not make a final judgment on the appropriateness of this facility and Deputy Curran will be aware that the Tánaiste is open to any issues the Deputy wishes to raise. I am sure the RIA, along with all State agencies, will be fully compliant with their obligations to the local authority. If an issue arises with regard to planning permission for change of use, I am sure the agency will take the appropriate action.