Nicky McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 396: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the rates paid for each asylum centre here; and how rates differ between centres. [36992/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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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. Direct provision allows asylum seekers to be provided with full board accommodation and certain ancillary services while their applications for international protection are being processed. Today, RIA has contracted to it 39 accommodation centres around the country where just over 5,420 persons now reside.

In fulfilling its general accommodation responsibilities, RIA does not lease or rent premises from commercial contractors. Rather, it 'contracts-in' a comprehensive range of services and facilities, which include accommodation, housekeeping etc., for a fixed sum over the period of the contract.

http://www.ria.gov.ie/Published on RIA's website - www.ria.gov.ie - are its Annual Reports for the years 2007 to 2010 inclusive. These reports include details of spending for those years, showing total payments for contracts in respect of State owned, commercial and self catering centres; for transport costs; for utility costs in State owned centres; and for miscellaneous payments.

Although there are standard service obligations - food, accommodation, etc. - on each of the centres, the per diem rate paid in each case by RIA is based on an individually negotiated contract. The rates differ from one contract to another depending on the facilities available in the centres, the differing functions of some of the centres, the location of the centres, the length of the contracts and so on. Negotiations take place with a number of commercial entities on an ongoing basis and RIA endeavours to achieve the best value for money in respect of each contract. It is not in the interests of the taxpayer that details of current individual contracts are known to the public or to other parties who are, or may be in the future, engaged in negotiations with the RIA. Therefore, details of current contract rates are not provided. This policy has been upheld by the Office of the Information Commissioner.

The Deputy should be aware that a copy of the Value For Money (VFM) review in respect of spending by RIA on asylum seeker accommodation was completed in May 2010 and is available in the Oireachtas Library. It can also be viewed on the aforementioned RIA website. This report made a detailed examination of RIA's procurement function and acknowledged some of the unique challenges in this particular area of procurement - unpredictability of demand, dispersal, local opposition, children settled in schools and so on. The VFM report also made a detailed analysis of rates and occupancy achieved by RIA in providing accommodation for asylum seekers. The RIA has advised me that it is active in following the recommendations of the VFM report and continuously measures achievements by reference to the targets set.

In the context of these cost containment measures, it should be noted that there is a continuing decline in the cost of the direct provision system in recent years, as illustrated by the following table, viz.:

Year Cost (Outturn)

2008 €91 million

2009 €86 million

2010 €79 million

2011 €67.5 million (estimate