Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans the Reception and Integration Agency has to review accommodation contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7753/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The contracts engaged in by the Reception and Integration Agency of my Department for the provision of accommodation and meals for persons who apply for refugee status under the Geneva Convention of 1951 are kept under constant review by the agency, with a view to ensuring that the costs of accommodating such persons are kept to a minimum and to ensure maximum value for the taxpayer.

On 21 October 2008, the Government agreed to a new round of value for money reviews for the period 2009-11. Spending by the RIA on asylum seeker accommodation is part of the Vote of the Office of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and is subject to such a review. The review will take place over the course of 2009, the results of which will be presented to the Oireachtas upon its completion. As is the case with value for money reviews, it has a steering committee, consisting of officials from my Department and the Department of Finance, and an independent chairperson. The first meeting of the review committee was on Monday, 23 February 2009.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Was it not a little late to hold the meeting last Monday? Should it not have met before now to discuss this issue? Is it not the case that there has been an 11% reduction in the costs of accommodation between 2002 and 2008, yet there has been a 200% reduction in the number of new asylum applicants coming into the country? In that period we spent €2.25 billion on the accommodation and asylum system in this country. We had the lowest figures for new applicants in 2008, yet accommodation costs increased by €15.5 million. Can the Minister give an assurance to the House that the targeted reduction of 22% in the current year will be achieved? Will it be achieved regarding the courts issues and regarding the Minister making sure that leave to remain applications are dealt with in an expeditious manner?

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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We would all like the decisions to be made in an expeditious manner, but we are not the author of our own destiny when it comes to the ability of people to take judicial review applications to the High Court. Sometimes this happens after a decision is made by every agency involved in the process. In the interim, we must provide the accommodation as required.

There are 96 nationalities spread over the 60 locations in which people are housed. It must be said that any review of those locations indicates a good quality of accommodation. There will always be queries, especially when we deal with 96 nationalities. However, the UNHCR has indicated clearly that it is happy with the accommodation available. The accommodation is one the best provided in the OECD. We try to keep costs down as much as possible. The average daily cost in one of the seven State owned accommodation centres is €21. The average daily cost in one of the 53 commercially provided centres is €31. The Deputy should be complimenting the Government for reducing the costs, yet still providing high quality accommodation, food and so on.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The costs have not been reduced. An extra €15.5 million over the estimate was spent last year on accommodation costs. The Minister of State next to the Minister said on 3 December that part of this was due to the administrative delays. What steps are being taken to reduce the time delays involved in processing these applications? That question relates to the courts and the Department. It is costing €45,000 per annum to deal with each asylum application at the moment. We cannot afford to continue that at this stage. Will the Minister ensure that the review takes place and that we get action on decisions?

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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There is a series of reviews on a number of headings across my Department. This is one area where we want this review to start — it has started — in order to ensure that we are getting value for money.

With regard to cost issues, we are not the authors of our own destiny. We must provide accommodation for those people who present to us, whether they do so at the start or at the end of a process, including during judicial reviews. The only way to deal with these issues as expeditiously as possible is to pass the new immigration Bill as quickly as possible, which will ultimately streamline the decision-making process. In the last few years, we have presided over a system whereby people can go to the court at every twist and turn. When I started out in law, it was an exception to take a judicial review. However, judicial reviews in the High Court on asylum cases make up about two thirds of all judicial reviews. Hopefully, the passage of the Bill will change this.

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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What about the leave to remain?