Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 491: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the average cost of board and accommodation for each asylum seeker; the average cost of medical services for each applicant; the average cost of the provision of other services; the rate of payment made to each adult and each child in direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8957/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers while their application for asylum is being processed. The number of asylum seekers in RIA accommodation can change on a day to day basis. At 31 December 2007, 6,625 asylum seekers were being accommodated. In 2007, the total amount paid by the RIA in respect of board and accommodation was €79.084 million.

Based on these figures, it is possible to estimate a mean average cost of board and accommodation of €11,937 per asylum seeker per year. This figure covers accommodation in direct provision centres as well as a small number of self-catering facilities. It does not include pre-school costs, costs in relation to a number of utility services in some State-owned centres, transportation costs in respect of dispersal of asylum seekers, payments to the Health Service Executive in respect of separated children seeking asylum and some miscellaneous payments.

The rate of the Weekly Supplementary Welfare Payment to Asylum Seekers is €19.10 in respect of adults and €9.60 in respect of each individual child per week. In relation to the cost of medical and other services, the latest information available is for 2006 and is detailed in the following paragraphs.

The Department of Health and Children reports expenditure of €9.09m in the areas of General Practitioner services and drugs, medical screening and maternity services. According to that Department, no distinction is made in relation to costs incurred in the provision of maternity and medical screening services to asylum seekers and other non-Irish nationals.

The Department of Education and Science reports expenditure of €48.14m in the provision of additional resources to primary and secondary schools attended by non-national children with significant English-language difficulties. The details supplied make no distinction between the children of asylum seekers and those of other non-nationals.

The Department of Social and Family Affairs reports expenditure of €68.01m in respect of the provision of Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Rent Supplement, exceptional needs payments, Child Benefit and Direct Provision. With regard to the figures supplied by that Department concerning supplementary welfare allowance, rent supplement and exceptional needs payment, while the vast bulk of the expenditure relates to asylum seekers, there may be some expenditure attributable to other persons (e.g. former asylum seekers and persons granted refugee status). In addition to the allowances mentioned, a number of asylum seekers are in receipt of other allowances such as unemployment assistance, disability, and one parent family allowances.

The Office of Public Works reports expenditure of €0.41m in 2006 under the general heading of construction and maintenance of properties. The Chief State Solicitor's Office reports expenditure of €2.01m incurred through payments made to Counsel defending asylum proceedings. My Department incurred expenditure of €7.73m in respect of the provision of refugee legal services and €52.21m, representing the total cost of running the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, which includes services across the asylum and immigration areas.