Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 1196: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the decision to move asylum seeking people from the town of Kiltimagh to Ballyhaunis and Sligo will be reconsidered in view of the fact that the children of these people are in the mid-term of their school year; if only an absolutely necessary move will be made and only when the academic school year is complete. [2255/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Reception and Integration Agency, RIA, is charged with providing accommodation under the Government policy of direct provision for asylum seekers. Decisions regarding the opening, reclassification or closing of centres are made in the context of the overall demand for accommodation and the need to achieve value for money in the context of managing a very large property portfolio.

Such management requires responses both to the changing numbers of persons seeking asylum and to the numbers of asylum seekers residing in RIA centres. A considerable number of asylum seekers have left RIA accommodation having been granted leave to remain in the State on the basis of having an Irish born child. This exodus from RIA accommodation allied to the reduced number of persons seeking asylum requires RIA to engage in a major review of its accommodation needs. It is incumbent on the RIA to optimise overall service provision, make the best use of its accommodation resources and provide accommodation in a sensitive, balanced and proportionate way.

The RIA is currently engaged in a major review of all accommodation centres throughout the State in order to ascertain the most appropriate level of accommodation required by the RIA in the short to medium term future. The review will inevitably require the RIA to close centres and to reclassify some centres for accommodation for single persons.

The RIA is aware that the necessary adjustments to its accommodation portfolio will result in disruption for some residents and endeavours to keep such disruption to a minimum. In the case of Kiltimagh, the RIA is examining the possibility of facilitating the continued residence at the centre of families with school-going children, as far as practicable.

The agency operates several regional centres with pre-school facilities for small children. Any families choosing to move from the centre who have pre-school children will be offered accommodation at one of those centres.