Direct provision contractors receive €5m each in state fees

The contractor that operates the Mount Trenchard direct provision centre in Limerick was one of three to receive fees in excess of €5m from the State last year.

Last August, the operation of Mount Trenchard at Foynes was the source of controversy with a number of asylum seekers protesting at living conditions at the centre and calling for its closure.

The protest sparked wider criticism that resulted in the Government establishing a working group to examine the system.

Figures provided by the Department of Justice show Alan Hyde, who heads up the Barlow Properties group that operates Mount Trenchard, last year received €5.15m in fees to operate five centres for 480 asylum seekers at Cork, Waterford and the one at Mount Trenchard.

READ MORE: 16 children under 5 have died in direct provision .

The figures show the cost of providing direct provision to more than 4,300 asylum seekers continues to be a bonanza for a small group of businesses with eight contractors receiving payments of over €36m (all figures incl Vat) last year.

The payments were part of a wider payout of €51.49m to private firms providing direct provision accommodation to asylum seekers between December 11, 2013, to the end of December last.

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Last year, the direct provision system cost €53m with 4,364 asylum seekers in direct provision accommodation.

The figures show Bridgestock received the highest payments totalling €5.9m — bringing to €76m the amount the firm has received from the State between 2000 and 2014.

The figures also show that East Coast Catering last year received the second highest amount of €5.78m.

The department’s record of purchase orders over €20,000 also shows that Mosney last year received €4.6m to accommodate 600 asylum seekers — this adds to the €105m the firm received from the State between 2002 and 2013.

The figures show that Arramark/Campbell Catering Ltd received €4.4m in addition to the €4.57m it received in 2013. Arramark provides services for 800 asylum seekers at three State-owned direct provision centres in Cork, south-east Clare and Athlone.

The records show Millstreet Equestrian Services, which provides accommodation for 380 in Cork, Waterford and Tipperary areas, received payment of €3.5m.

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