Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will provide in tabular form the number of asylum centres in the country, the number of refugees in each centre and their nationalities, the cost of each centre and the average stay of a refugee in each centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43185/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal. In this regard, RIA is currently providing accommodation to over 6,900 asylum seekers in 59 centres located across 22 counties. (This figure does not include the Bruach na Habhainn in Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo which is used to accommodate Resettlement Programme Refugees). The cost to the State for the provision of such accommodation in the last financial year, i.e. 2007, was £83.262 m. This expenditure included such services as pre-school services, utilities (gas) etc, transporting asylum seekers throughout the country under the system of dispersal, and miscellaneous amounts such as the payment for nappies and funeral expenses.

It is not possible, without a disproportionate expenditure of staff resources, to provide the information in precisely the format requested by the Deputy. In this respect, it must be borne in mind that asylum seekers are not allocated to particular centres based on their nationality, the current status of their asylum claim or their length of time in the asylum process. Information as to the mean average length of time in the asylum process of asylum seekers resident in any particular centre would have no practical application or value. I can, however, indicate an overall view of the duration of stay of RIA residents in the Direct Provision system in the following table:

The figures above are taken from the RIA database. At 31 October 2008 there were 7086 residents "live on system"

In relation to the number of asylum seekers — not refugees it should be noted — the occupancy in each of the 59 RIA accommodation centres as of 16 November, 2008 is as follows.

In relation to the question relating to the nationality of residents in each centre the following is an analysis based on the situation obtaining on 31 December, 2007. It should be noted that the list of centres does not include Lisbrook House, Galway and Sarsfield Bridge, Limerick which were opened in 2008. Moreover, it includes 5 centres — Camden Hall, Portabello Harbour, Harbour View, James Street and Tathony House — all of which were closed in 2008.

Occupancy Levels refer to week ending 31/12/2007 — accommodation centres.

Occupancy Levels refer to Self Catering Centres.

Occupancy Levels refer to Reception Centres.

The occupancy level for all centres was 6,719 at 31 December, 2007.