Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality following the review by the UN Committee Against Torture where the committee recommends that the State partly take measures to ensure that all persons detained for immigration related reasons are held in facilities that are appropriate to their status, his views on the current situation relating to immigration related detainees; and the plans that have been made to make appropriate facilities available. [10288/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Arrangements for the detention of non-nationals on immigration grounds are a matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Under these arrangements persons are generally accommodated in the committal facility for the area in which their case is processed. The detention of non-nationals is subject to judicial oversight which includes recourse to the courts for all detainees. Detention must also be in accordance with national and international law, in particular the European Convention on Human Rights which requires every organ of the State to perform its functions in a manner compatible with the State's obligations under the Convention.

Places of detention are subject to rigorous inspection systems governed by both national and international oversight bodies. The existing international system of inspection operates under the auspices of the Council of Europe Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which Ireland has been a party to since 1989 while the Office of the Inspector of Prisons is responsible for national oversight arrangements.

The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and All Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, signed by Ireland on 2nd October, 2007, establishes a national and international inspection system for places of detention which is modelled to a significant extent on the Council of Europe Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The Government has approved the drafting of a General Scheme of an Inspection of Places of Detention Bill, which will include provisions to enable ratification of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture. Subject to competing legislative priorities, it is expected that the General Scheme will be completed early this year.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount paid by his Department to asyslum centre firms for the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10295/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA), a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department, is responsible for the accommodation of persons while their applications for international protection are being processed. Currently there are 4,819 persons accommodated throughout the State in 35 centres under contract to RIA.

The amounts paid to contractors for accommodation and ancillary services for asylum seekers over the past 5 years are as follows:

The Deputy may also wish to note that published on RIA's website – www.ria.gov.ie - are its Annual Reports for the years 2007 to 2011 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. The 2012 report is being compiled and will be published as soon as possible.