Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 May 2014
149. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the recreational facilities or areas for residents to exercise that will be retained at the asylum seeker centre Knockalisheen after the proposed sale of lands adjacent to the centre by the Department of Defence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20383/14]
View answerThe Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers while their application for international protection are being processed. Currently, RIA is providing accommodation for approximately 4,300 persons in 34 centres located in 16 counties throughout the State. Seven of these centres, including at Knockalisheen, Co. Clare, are State owned; that is to say, the land and buildings are owned by the State. In the case of Knockalisheen, the land is owned by the Department of Defence.
The Deputy has asked an identical question of me today in my capacity as Minister for Defence. As I state in that response too, the Department of Defence has no plans to dispose of any lands in Knockalisheen allocated to the asylum centre. Lands in Knockalisheen surplus to the requirements of that Department are subject to ongoing negotiations with a number of sitting tenants for the sale to them of the lands which they currently hold under licence, while the remainder of the lands will be disposed of by auction in due course. At all events, these actions by the Department of Defence will not affect the asylum accommodation centre and RIA has no plans to reduce the recreational facilities available to asylum seekers in any way.
