Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 494: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will reply to a request from a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8960/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers through the Government policy of direct provision. The RIA provides full direct provision accommodation in the majority of its accommodation centres but has a limited supply of 'self-catering' accommodation such as that provided at Station House apartments, Ballaghaderreen.

The person referred to applied for asylum on 8 April, 2004. She is one of a family of four, comprising 2 parents and 2 children. She was provided with accommodation at Station House apartments in October, 2006 along with her eldest child. Her husband joined her at a later date and their youngest child was born while at her current accommodation.

I am informed that the RIA received a transfer request from this family on 5 February, 2008. The transfer request raises a specific issue in respect of school access which the RIA is investigating as part of its overall consideration of the case. Additional correspondence associated with the request refers to the necessity to share facilities, such as a kitchen and bathroom, with other residents in the centre. The sharing of such facilities is a normal feature of much of the self-catering accommodation available to RIA.

A considered response will issue directly to the person concerned in due course but it should be noted that any transfer to alternative self-catering accommodation would also involve the sharing of facilities. Moreover, RIA has a very limited supply of such self-catering accommodation and, if the request is to be facilitated at all, it may be in a position to offer only normal direct provision accommodation to this family. This would involve the family living in full-board accommodation with no access to a kitchen and a return to direct provision allowance payments.