Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 3 Oct 2000

Vol. 523 No. 1

Written Answers. - Asylum Support Services.

Nora Owen

Ceist:

480 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Finance the properties purchased or leased by the Office of Public Works for housing asylum seekers; the location of each of these properties; the cost paid if purchased; the properties now in use; the properties not in use and which are being cared for by security companies; the cost of such security; if he will confirm that one property in County Carlow which was purchased earlier this year for over £1 million is still unoccupied and is being guarded by a private security firm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20126/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Cullen):

Ionad Follain at Myshall, County Carlow was acquired by my office in July 2000. A private security firm was installed at Ionad Follain on 21 July and will remain on site until the directorate for asylum support services issues instructions as to when asylum seekers will take up occupancy. At that stage the security contract which my office has entered into will be terminated.

Four properties have been purchased and one leased by the Office of Public Works to meet the requirements of the asylum seeker accommodation programme:

Property	Location	Occupied	PurchasePrice	Lease	Estimate of Security Cost to date
			£		£
Parnell West Hotel	Dublin 1	Yes	2,425,000		None required
Devereux Hotel	Wexford	No	1,950,000		35,265
Ionad Follain	Carlow	No	1,050,000		22,300
Broc House	Dublin 4	No	7,250,000		16,400
Havisham House Hotel	Rochestown Co. Cork	No		300,000 p.a.	43,000

Question No. 481 taken with Question No. 447.