John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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351. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of asylum seekers, single and family units being accommodated in temporary accommodation in Bray, County Wicklow in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28276/19]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) has arranged the provision of emergency accommodation for international protection applicants since September 2018 due to the increasing numbers of people arriving in the State seeking international protection. RIA had reached full capacity in its centres at that time.

As of 23rd June, RIA is accommodating 872 people in 28 emergency accommodation across the country. RIA will continue to use emergency accommodation for as short a time as possible and is actively working on securing additional capacity, both in existing centres and through sourcing new centres via a national procurement process.

The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of this Department, has a legal duty to protect the identities of persons in the international protection process and must be mindful of the right to privacy of applicants when responding to specific queries. As such, while I can confirm that the Department is using temporary emergency accommodation in Co. Wicklow, RIA cannot confirm the specific emergency accommodation locations or exact family configuration as this could lead to the identity the applicants becoming known. I can however confirm that as of 23rd June 2019 there were 79 people residing in emergency accommodation in Co. Wicklow, this includes family units and single people seeking international.

The Department put out an expression of interest seeking bed and board in hotels and guesthouses on a 12-26 week basis for emergency temporary accommodation for international protection applications. Premises in County Wicklow were sourced on that basis. RIA continues to work to identify additional accommodation centres for new applicants.

RIA is working very hard to ensure that residents in emergency accommodation are re-accommodated in an accommodation centre as quickly as possible.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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352. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the details of the contract of the temporary accommodation centre for asylum seekers in Bray, County Wicklow; the timeframe of the contract; the location of the centre; the occupancy of same; the obligations within the contract; the cost of the contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28277/19]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Since September 2018, the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) has arranged for the provision of emergency beds where the mainstream accommodation centres are at capacity. As of 16th June 2019, a total of 817 applicants were staying in 25 emergency centres.

The locations that are being used for the provision of emergency accommodation have been selected by means of a call for expressions of interest from hotels and guesthouses that was advertised in the national press.

I wish to confirm that a premises in Bray is being used for emergency accommodation and is not a direct provision centre. My Department is working to identify additional capacity within its accommodation portfolio so that the use of emergency accommodation will be reduced and ended, if possible by the end of this year.

The premises in Bray is under contract until the 18th November 2019 for the provision of bed and board for 43 persons. There are currently 31 persons resident there. The contract provides for the provision of bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner and laundry facilities. For reasons of commercial sensitivity, the individual costs of contracts are not made public.

As part of the regional procurement process that RIA is rolling out in 2019, a competition for the Mid-East Region which covers Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow will be advertised in Quarter 3 of this year seeking the provision of accommodation and ancillary services for persons seeking international protection. It would be premature to speculate at this stage what properties will be offered to the Department under this process.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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353. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the transition process for moving asylum seekers from temporary accommodation to direct provision; if the person in question is consulted; if they are moved to a location geographically close to the temporary accommodation; the way in which the health and well-being needs of asylum seekers are addressed within this transition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28278/19]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Since September 2018, due to insufficient capacity within the Reception and Integration Agency's (RIA) accommodation portfolio, RIA has contracted for the use of emergency accommodation in hotels and guesthouses. As of 16th June 2019, a total of 817 applicants were staying in emergency accommodation.

The duration of stay in the emergency accommodation is to be for as short a time as possible prior to being transferred to a contracted RIA accommodation centre when places become available. Family composition, ages of children and medical needs are factors taken into account when allocating to a RIA accommodation centre to ensure that the most suitable accommodation is assigned, notwithstanding the current capacity issues.

When international protection applicants are provided with emergency accommodation, they are advised that this accommodation is on a temporary basis and that they will be moved to a RIA accommodation centre as soon as possible. RIA notify international protection applicants in advance of their transfer to a RIA accommodation centre from temporary emergency accommodation.

Additionally, RIA is liaising closely with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the HSE to facilitate appropriate service provision to them while in emergency accommodation.