Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2004
410 Ms M. Wallace asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the Mosney Reception Centre in County Meath was opened to cater for a maximum of 500 asylum seekers; the number of asylum seekers accommodated at this location, distinguishing between adults and children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3644/04]
View answerOn 22 November 2000, the directorate for asylum support services, which was subsequently subsumed into the Reception and Integration Agency or RIA, entered into a contract with the proprietor of Mosney Holiday Centre for the provision of accommodation and ancillary services at that stage for up to 500 asylum seekers, comprised mainly of families. The duration of the contract is four years and nine months and the initial placements at the centre were made on 7 December 2000.
The provision of accommodation and ancillary services to asylum seekers is demand led and, having regard to the numbers of persons who applied for asylum during the course of 2001, the RIA entered into a further agreement with the proprietor to increase the capacity of the centre to 769. There are currently 742 residents at the centre of which 366 are children under the age of 18 years.
