Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 July 2019
352. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the details of the contract of the temporary accommodation centre for asylum seekers in Bray, County Wicklow; the timeframe of the contract; the location of the centre; the occupancy of same; the obligations within the contract; the cost of the contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28277/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince September 2018, the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) has arranged for the provision of emergency beds where the mainstream accommodation centres are at capacity. As of 16th June 2019, a total of 817 applicants were staying in 25 emergency centres.
The locations that are being used for the provision of emergency accommodation have been selected by means of a call for expressions of interest from hotels and guesthouses that was advertised in the national press.
I wish to confirm that a premises in Bray is being used for emergency accommodation and is not a direct provision centre. My Department is working to identify additional capacity within its accommodation portfolio so that the use of emergency accommodation will be reduced and ended, if possible by the end of this year.
The premises in Bray is under contract until the 18th November 2019 for the provision of bed and board for 43 persons. There are currently 31 persons resident there. The contract provides for the provision of bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner and laundry facilities. For reasons of commercial sensitivity, the individual costs of contracts are not made public.
As part of the regional procurement process that RIA is rolling out in 2019, a competition for the Mid-East Region which covers Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow will be advertised in Quarter 3 of this year seeking the provision of accommodation and ancillary services for persons seeking international protection. It would be premature to speculate at this stage what properties will be offered to the Department under this process.
