Written answers

Wednesday, 21 April 2021

Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

Direct Provision System

Photo of Cormac DevlinCormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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1226. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the average estimated cost of the direct provision system per person per month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18795/21]

Photo of Roderic O'GormanRoderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Direct Provision involves a whole-of-government approach to meet the reception needs of persons who enter the State seeking international protection. My Department is responsible for the costs associated with the provision of accommodation and ancillary services for international protection applicants.

The expenditure of my Department primarily relates to the running of the National Reception Centre at Balseskin; the contracting of commercial direct provision and emergency accommodation centres; the management, maintenance and utility costs of the seven State-owned accommodation centres; the provision of Covid-19 response centres for isolation and quarantine; the costs associated with the provision of PPE to residents; and grants to NGOs providing support services to residents in Direct Provision.

The total spend on Direct Provision in 2020 was €175.452 million. There were 6997 people in Direct Provision accommodation on 27 December 2020, the last Sunday of the year, therefore on that day the datum which the Deputy seeks is a figure of €25,075. The Deputy should bear in mind that the number of people who are resident in Direct Provision accommodation can vary day to day during the year.

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