John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 525: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost to the Exchequer of refugees and asylum seekers in each of the years 2002 to 2005, inclusive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5428/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The costs arising from the provision of services to refugees and asylum seekers are primarily a matter for the individual Departments and agencies with responsibility for such services. However, the most recent information available to me indicates that the amount spent on services for refugees and asylum seekers was in the region of €341 million for 2002, €353 million in 2003 and €375 million in 2004. I am advised, however, that a proportion of these costs covers services provided to non-nationals generally such as by the immigration area of my Department. The equivalent figure for 2005 is currently being compiled and is not yet available.

However, in 2005, the total cost to my Department of asylum and immigration services was approximately €136 million. This included costs directly associated with the processing of asylum applications by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal and also expenditure on, for example, the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers by the Reception and Integration Agency and the operation of the immigration and deportation process.

While any continued reduction in the number of asylum applications can be expected to have an impact on the level of resources allocated to services for asylum seekers in the future, expenditure in this area will need to be maintained at an appropriate level so as to ensure the timely processing of applications. In addition, the provision of key immigration related services generally will continue to require an adequate level of resources so as to ensure that these also continue to be provided in an efficient and effective manner. This will include resources, for example, for the operation of the deportation process and for the processing of applications for visas and citizenship, all of which have been on the increase in recent years.