Written Answers. - Asylum Support Services.
Phil Hogan
Ceist:
431
Mr. Hogan
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
if he will revoke his order of 11 March 2002 to sanction the erection of prefabricated buildings on lands at Leggettsrath West, Dublin Road, Kilkenny for the purpose of accommodating asylum seekers pending full consultation with local residents and the local authority in accordance with the planning Acts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[10165/02]
The Reception and Integration Agency is responsible, inter alia, for meeting the accommodation needs of asylum seekers under the system of dispersal and direct provision which was introduced in April 2000. The RIA is currently providing full board accommodation for close on 5,000 asylum seekers in 81 centres which are situated in 24 of the 26 counties.
Currently 89 asylum seekers are accommodated in one centre in Kilkenny on a full board basis under the system of direct provision. In accordance with Government policy on the dispersal and the provision of accommodation for asylum seekers, the Office of Public Works aris ing from a public advertisement, have recently secured a four year, nine month lease, effective from the completion of construction, for a site at Leggettsrath, Dublin Road, Kilkenny on behalf of the RIA. The site will be used for the purpose of developing a centre for the provision of accommodation and certain ancillary services for up to 250 asylum seekers, including children.
An order under Section 181(2)(a) of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, was subsequently signed by me. I understand that arrangements are being made by the Office of Public Works to put in place the contract for the construction of the facility. I am advised that the RIA is making arrangements to meet representatives of local residents prior to the commencement of the site works and no development work will take place until these discussions have been completed.
The facility in question will be a low-rise accommodation centre, modelled on similar facilities used extensively throughout Europe. It will be similar to other system built centres at Knockalisheen, County Clare, Cork and Dublin and it is anticipated that the centre could come on stream at the end of this year or early next year. Following its completion, placements to the centre will be made on a phased basis over a number of months.
The centre will cater, in the main, for families and will incorporate dining, communal, recreational, health and welfare facilities and appropriate landscaping works. In accordance with normal practice, representatives of the RIA have already met with representatives of Kilkenny County Council, the South-Eastern Health Board and local residents and will liaise with support service providers, including the South-Eastern Health Board, schools and voluntary groups in order to facilitate the development of support structures for asylum seekers to be accommodated at the centre.
The current rate of new applications for refugee status is approximately 800 per month, and the provision of accommodation and ancillary health and welfare facilities for them continues to be a major challenge for the State. The development of an accommodation centre at Kilkenny is in line with Government policy to meet this challenge and is part of the overall strategy for the provision of up to 4,000 places in system built accommodation throughout the State over time.
