Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 144: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the annual cost to the State for the supply of services to all asylum seeker centres, private and State owned. [24367/12]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 145: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number and location of each State owned accommodation centre; the person who operates them on behalf of the State; the cost to the Exchequer of each centre; the tendering process involved in appointing the operator of the asylum reception centres; and if any incentives were given to localised suppliers to bid for the contracts associated with running the centre or supplying the centres; and when the renewal date for such contracts fall due. [24368/12]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the procurement policy for supplies to each of the asylum seeker accommodation centres; if a single supplier for services, goods is used for several or all of the reception centres; if that supplier is based in Ireland and tax compliant; if the contractors or operators of centres are subsidiaries or connected in business to companies or entities outside of the European Union. [24369/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 144 to 146, inclusive, together.

These questions relate to the spending and procurement policy of the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA), a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department, which is responsible for the accommodation of persons while their applications for international protection are being processed. Currently, almost 5,200 persons are being accommodated throughout the State in 38 centres under contract to RIA.

At appendix A of this answer is a breakdown of the €69.459 million expended by RIA in 2011. The estimates provision for RIA in 2012 is €63.5 million.

Of the 38 centres in the State, 7 are State owned. That is to say, while the centres are managed by private contractors under contract to RIA, the land and buildings are owned by the State. At appendix B is a list of all current RIA centres broken down by contractor. This list also identifies those 7 State owned centres. The Deputy should be aware that RIA has recently completed an EU tender for the management of these State owned centres. While the preferred bidders have been so advised, the relevant contracts will not be in place until early June and it would not be legally appropriate under the regulations to issue such information prior to the start of these contracts.

Details of the costs of each of the 38 centres will be forwarded directly to the Deputy shortly. In this respect it is important to note that, as explained in replies to previous Dáil Questions, it is not in the interest 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 RIA. Therefore, details of current contract rates are not provided. The policy is that the updating of the table of contracts will take place only at the end of January each year in respect of all financial information up to the end of December two years previously, e.g. at the end of January, 2012 the records are updated to end of December 2009. This policy has been upheld by the Office of the Information Commissioner.

All companies under contract to RIA are contractually obliged to have valid, current tax clearance certificates.

In relation to RIA's tendering processes, I have explained in responses to previous Dáil Questions that RIA does not lease or rent premises from commercial contractors. Rather, it 'contracts-in' a comprehensive range of services and facilities, which include accommodation, food provision, housekeeping etc., for a fixed sum over the period of the contract.

A distinction needs to be drawn in relation to procurement processes as between RIA's State-owned accommodation centres and the commercially owned and operated centres. The tender process for the management of the State owned centres is carried out by way of public competition in accordance with EU Council Directive 2004/18/EC (co-ordinating procedures for the award of public works contracts, public supply contracts and public service contracts) as implemented into Irish law by Statutory Instrument 329 of 2006. In relation to the commercially owned and operated centres, RIA advertises in the national press for expressions of interest from persons interested in providing accommodation and other ancillary services for asylum seekers. RIA procurement also has regard to the provisions of the Department of Finance Circular 10/10 on the Facilitation of SME Participation in Public procurement, a copy of which is available on the Government's e-tender website www.etenders.gov.ie.

The RIA procurement process was subject to scrutiny in the Value For Money (VFM) review in respect of spending by RIA on asylum seeker accommodation which was published in May, 2010. A copy of this review is in the Oireachtas Library and is also viewable on the RIA website: www.ria.gov.ie. The Review acknowledges the unique challenges in this particular area of procurement, e.g. the unpredictability of demand, the requirement to disperse asylum seekers around the country, local opposition to the opening of new centres, children settled in schools and so on. Among the recommendations of the VFM report was the introduction of a mix of 'contracts for capacity' and 'contracts for availability and occupancy' as well as a 'more open' tendering system in respect of the commercially owned and operated centres in the RIA portfolio. Preparatory work will begin on devising a more open tendering process for the commercially owned centres when the current State owned tender competition is completed next month. This will be a difficult exercise as the tender process will have to take account of "non-money" issues such as access to social, educational and health services as well as adherence to long standing Government policy on dispersal of asylum seekers throughout the country so that no one region is disproportionately burdened in relation to service provision, as well as a recognition that other State agencies may have already committed resources in a particular region or area.

In relation to the services to asylum seekers contracted by RIA, such as food, accommodation and ancillary services, these, by definition, have to be provided in Ireland. In relation to the question of whether contractors or operators of centres are subsidiaries or connected in business to companies or entities outside of the European Union, it will be seen from Appendix B that all have business addresses in Ireland. To RIA's knowledge, only one of its contractors would fall into the category of being a "subsidiary or connected in business to companies or entities outside the European Union" - i.e., Aramark Ltd. I understand that this company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Aramark Corporation which is headquartered in Philadelphia in the USA. Aramark Ireland Ltd has had a presence in Ireland since 2005 when it invested in the Irish firm Campbell Catering Ltd.. I am also advised that Aramark Ireland Ltd. currently has over 4,000 employees in Ireland.

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Breakdown of Expenditure in RIA in 2011

Notes:

* This figure also includes the amount paid for the 7 commercially owned centres closed during 2011.

**This represents direct spending by RIA on costs in relation to, transport to reception centres and, onwards on dispersal, to accommodation centres. Individual centres also provide transport (e.g. into local town or city) for resident asylum seekers but this cost is subsumed into the overall contract price.