Vol. 572 No. 1
180 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the cost to date of accommodation at Ormonde Hostel, Johns Green, Kilkenny; the number who reside at the hostel; the term of the lease; and the number of asylum seekers who reside in rented accommodation in the city. [22622/03]
A contract for services arrangement for the provision of accommodation and related facilities under the system of direct pro vision was entered into with the owner of the Ormonde Hostel, Kilkenny in December 2000. That initial contract which was for a period of two years was followed by a subsequent one year contract which runs until December 2003. Currently 74 asylum seekers are accommodated in the premises in question.
In accordance with normal practice and on the grounds of commercial sensitivity, I do not propose to comment on the detailed commercial arrangements made by my Department in this or any other similar case. However, I can confirm that, in this case, as in the case of similar hostel type properties in respect of which contract for services arrangements for the accommodation of asylum seekers have been entered into, the payment to proprietors is currently in the range of €182 to €196 per person per week.
No asylum seekers are accommodated or have ever been accommodated in the private rented sector in Kilkenny by my Department. However, it may be the case that persons who entered the State as asylum seekers and subsequently withdrew their applications on, for example, the birth of a child may have been granted full supplementary welfare allowance and rent supplement by the South-Eastern Health Board. My Department has no role in relation to the determination of these allowances, and as such, it is not in a position to indicate how many were granted. This information may be available from the South-Eastern Health Board.
