Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 March 2021
628. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the cost to the State of the direct provision system in each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13405/21]
View answerMy Department currently has contracts in place for 49 accommodation centres, including management contracts for 7 State owned centres. The 49 centres comprise 45 accommodation centres for International Protection applicants, the National Reception Centre for International Protection applicants in Balseskin, Co. Dublin and 3 Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROC) for refugees brought to Ireland under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP).
Due to continuing increases in the numbers applying for international protection in recent years, these centres reached full operational capacity in September 2018 and a number of premises, hotels and guesthouses, were contracted to provide accommodation on a short-term basis until additional accommodation centres could be provided under a regional tendering competition. There are currently 25 such accommodation premises currently being used to accommodate international protection applicants on a temporary basis.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, my Department also provided 4 dedicated self-isolation facilities for residents in 2020. One of these is still under contract as well as 2 quarantine centres, one for residents who had left their allocated accommodation to live temporarily with famly or friends and a second for newly arrived International Protection applicants seeking accommodation.
My Department contracts for an all-inclusive service, which includes catering services, as well as cleaning, maintenance and laundry services.
The below table provides the total costs in each of the last ten years.
|
Year |
Expenditure in millions |
|
2010 |
€79.1 |
|
2011 |
€69.5 |
|
2012 |
€62.3 |
|
2013 |
€55.2 |
|
2014 |
€53.2 |
|
2015 |
€57.025 |
|
2016 |
€64.137 |
|
2017 |
€67.359 |
|
2018 |
€77.993 |
|
2019 |
€129.408 |
|
2020 |
€183.037 |
