Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 819: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will consider offering alternative accommodation to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29186/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal.

By way of background, the Deputy may wish to note that the person referred to in the details supplied made an application for asylum at the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) on 18 March 2004. This person has been accommodated by the RIA since that date, including being accommodated at the Eyre Powell accommodation centre in Newbridge since 19 May 2005. The RIA has not provided accommodation to the person referred to as this person's husband in the details supplied since March 2004.

The person referred to in the details supplied had been accommodated at Eyre Powell centre along with her two children. She has frequently been absent from this accommodation for periods of time and has received warnings from the RIA and the centre manager at Eyre Powell in relation to this. The RIA currently accommodates almost 7,000 asylum seekers across its portfolio and there is a continued demand for bed spaces for newly arrived asylum seekers. Where it has come to the attention of the RIA that a person is not making use of their accommodation, that accommodation will be allocated to persons who will avail of it.

It is in this context that, following the issuing of warnings from the RIA and the centre manager, the accommodation was eventually deemed abandoned in this instance. A letter issued from the RIA to this effect on 3 July 2008. The Deputy may wish to note that the person referred to in the details supplied presented to the RIA for re-accommodation on 8 July 2008 and refused an offer of accommodation at Athlone accommodation centre.