Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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446. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the agreed number of residents in each location (details supplied) for the years 2011 to 2014 and for 2015 to date; and the percentage increase or decrease in peridium fees over these periods. [28445/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, 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 and dispersal. Currently, there are over 4,599 residents in 34 centres across the State under contract to RIA. Details of all of these centres and the companies or persons RIA has contracted to provide accommodation services are published in RIA's Annual Reports available on its website - .

All centres are managed by private companies under contract to RIA. Seven of the 34 centres are State owned – i.e. the land and buildings are owned by the State – while the remainder are owned or leased by private entities. There is a difference in the rates as State-owned facilities are not obliged to pay for rent, maintenance and utilities. None of the three centres which are the subject of this question is State owned. The rate paid to commercially owned centres is an all-in price that includes: VAT, staffing; energy and other utility costs; housekeeping; catering; security; maintenance, capital maintenance; etc. Rates also vary depending on the location of and the services available in each centre.

In fulfilling its general accommodation responsibilities, RIA does not own, lease or rent premises from commercial contractors. Rather, it contracts in a comprehensive range of services and facilities, including accommodation, housekeeping and so on, for a fixed sum over the period of a contract. The amounts paid reflect this all-in price. Generally, it can be said that there are three variables in a standard contract between RIA and the service provider: the numbers to be accommodated in the centre i.e. its capacity; the length of the contract; and the per person per day rate paid i.e the per diemrate. It is not possible to provide values for current contracts entered into by RIA. 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 yielding best value for 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.

Contract expiry dates are deliberately 'staggered' throughout the year and can span a period of months or years. Thus for the purposes of this question, the date of 1st July was chosen for comparison purposes in each of the three centres cited.

The percentage increase/decrease on the per person per day rate (per diem) was calculated based on the rate applicable on 1st July each year. Note that in 2012, in relation to a number of contracts RIA negotiated certain per diem rates downwards in the light of the financial pressures then prevailing on the State.