Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 156: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the particular dietary needs of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 2 cannot be met at their present location; if he will arrange transfer to alternative accommodation with ability to meet these needs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23306/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) is responsible, inter alia, for the provision of accommodation and ancillary services to asylum seekers through the Government policy of direct provision. The RIA is a cross-departmental Agency which coordinates service provision in areas including health, education and welfare. The RIA is currently accommodating almost 7,000 people in 60 centres in 22 counties.

In addition to direct provision accommodation, the Agency operates a very limited number of self-catering accommodation centres in certain parts of the country. This accommodation is reserved for special needs and extreme medical cases in the main.

The person referred to in the details supplied applied for asylum in February, 2004. She has made 4 requests for self-catering accommodation in the past 20 months. The first 3 were made on the basis of the length of time she was residing in direct provision accommodation. The most recent request dated 22nd August, 2007 was referred to our independent medical referee who was of the opinion that she did not have adequate medical grounds to be considered for self-catering accommodation. As her request referred to her medical condition and wanting to cook for herself she has been asked to provide centre management with a diet sheet from her doctor which she has failed to do to date. It should be noted that she has never complained to management about the food or asked for any special dietary concessions. Once she complies with this request centre management will do everything in their power to facilitate her dietary requirements.

In relation to food, the RIA places particular emphasis on meeting, to the greatest extent possible, the dietary needs of residents and, in this regard, 28-day menu cycles are in place in all large centres. The menus offered reflect the reasonable needs of the different ethnic groups and the reasonable prescribed dietary needs of any person accommodated in centres.

All contractors are required to serve, breakfast, lunch and dinner each day. At the centre where the person referred to above is accommodated breakfast consists of eggs, a choice of 4 cereals, a choice of 2 juices, a selection of fruit, milk, tea, coffee, toast, brown and white bread, and a selection of spreads, jams and preserves. Lunch consists of a choice of 3 light main courses (varied daily) together with vegetables, pasta, rice, potatoes, juice, tea and coffee. Dinner includes a choice of 2 starters (1 hot and 1 cold) or dessert or yogurt and a choice of 3 main courses (varied daily) to include a meat dish, a fish dish and a vegetarian dish. Tea, coffee and toast are made available outside of normal meal times.

All contractors are required to consult regularly with residents to ascertain what foods they prefer and how such foods should be cooked. These meetings are particularly important where many ethnic groups may be accommodated in the same centre and where there are residents who have special dietary requirements. Menus are kept under review and are revised from time to time with a view to meeting the ethnic and special dietary needs of residents to the greatest extent possible.

Regular inspections of centres by RIA staff and by an Independent Inspectorate are carried out and appropriate measures are taken where the requirements of residents are not being met. In addition, RIA staff, including senior management, regularly eat in centres to ensure that the fare on offer is of the standard required.

In relation to the running of centres, residents are provided with a copy of the House Rules and Procedures, which incorporates a complaints procedure. Management organises regular meeting with residents where issues can be addressed. Moreover, RIA staff regularly hold 'clinics' in centres where residents can raise issues in relation, inter alia, the running of the centre, the provision of services at the centre and any problems with quantity, variety or quality of the food.