Asylum industry: companies behind the direct provision system

Property, catering and construction firms among major providers in profitable sector

Aramark Ireland Holdings Ltd

Aramark Ireland Holdings Ltd, with an address at Sir John Rogerson’s Quay, Dublin, is part of the US Aramark Corporation which has its headquarters in Philadelphia and is quoted on the New York Stock Exchange. It is involved in running three State-owned direct provision centres which accommodate up to 800 asylum seekers at Kinsale Road, Cork; Knockalisheen, Co Limerick; and Athlone, Co Westmeath.

The Irish leg of the corporation owns Campbell Catering, as well as a number of other Irish subsidiaries.

The Dublin-based operation is involved in on-site catering, cleaning, and facilities, energy and property management. The income it earns from its work in direct provision centres forms a small part of the €223 million turnover it reported for the year to the end of September 2013. In all, Aramark has received €16 million in State funding up to the year 2010 for the provision of asylum accommodation services.

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Atlantic Blue Ltd

Atlantic Blue Ltd is owned by its two directors, Trish Mulcahy (51) and Jonathan Moore (49), of Tramore, Co Waterford.

The company was incorporated in 2008 and had more than €600,000 in accumulated profits by the end of 2013. It runs Atlantic House, Tramore, a 65-bed facility which has received at least €7 million in State funding to date.

Barlow Properties Ltd and others

Cork-based Alan Hyde (51), Michael Lane (56), Tadhg Murphy (24) and Yvonne Murphy are directors or shareholders in a number of companies involved in five direct provision centres in Cork, Limerick and Waterford.

In all, these companies have received about €40 million in State funding since the direct provision system was established.

Bridgestock

Bridgestock runs two direct provision in Sligo and Mayo which accommodate just over 500 asylum seekers. The firm, with an address at Castle Street, Roscommon, is owned by a parent company based in the British Virgin Islands.

The directors of Bridgestock are Seamus Gillen (46) of Tullamore, Co Offaly, Michael Gillen (54), of Tonaphubble, Sligo, and Eoghan McGinty (42), Galway.

Bridgestock is an unlimited company and does not publish accounts. Bridgestock has received a total of at least €68 million in State funding for running direct provision centres.

East Coast Catering (Ireland) The company, with an address in Dundalk, is owned by Patrick O'Callaghan (71), a native of Dundalk who has built up the multinational East Coast Catering business since his move to Canada more than 30 years ago. He is a 2012 recipient of the EY entrepreneur of the year award for the Canadian Atlantic region.

The Irish arm of the international group adopted unlimited status in 2006 and has not published accounts since then.

The directors of the company are Denis Williams, Dundalk; Mr O’Callaghan; Brian Byrne, Blackrock, Co Louth; and Richard Sheppard from Newfoundland.

It is involved in running direct provision centres at Baleskin and Hatch Hall in Dublin, as well as Carroll Village in Dundalk.

East Coast Catering has received more than €90 million in State funding since the direct provision system was established in 2000.

Fazyard Ltd

This is one of a number of companies which own direct provision centres in Dublin and Laois providing accommodation for up to 500 asylum seekers.

Fazyard is owned by Sean Lyons (65) and made a profit of more than €795,000 in the year to the end of November last, bringing its accumulated profits to €10.8 million.

A second company owned by Mr Lyons and also in receipt of State-funding for the provision of direct provision services to asylum seekers, Old George Ltd, reported a loss of just over €1,300.

Mr Lyons has an address in Ashford, Co Wicklow. The other directors of Fazyard are Sean Lyons jnr (42), Shankill, Co Dublin, and Graham Carry (40), Glenageary, Co Dublin.

Hi-Tech Dry Cleaners Ltd

Hi-Tech Dry Cleaners Ltd is owned by John Philip Ryan (73), of Ballyclough, Co Limerick, who is also a director of a number of construction and hotel businesses. Hi-Tech had accumulated profits at the end of 2013 of just over €360,000 and during the year had paid rent of €87,700 to one of its directors.

Maplestar Ltd The company is owned by Francis, Kevin and Mary Flannery, all based in Galway, and Colin and Andrena Flannery, of Ladywell Estate, Co Westmeath. It is part of the Foxfield Inns group which includes the Flannery and Imperial hotels in Galway. Maplestar's accounts show a net profit of €271,000 in 2013 and that during the year the company paid rent of €500,000 to its parent, Foxfield Inns Ltd.

Millstreet Equestrian Centre This company is run by Noel (82) and Thomas Duggan (48) and is owned by way of companies based in the Isle of Man. The company adopted unlimited status in 2010 after which it did not have to file public accounts. The 2008 accounts said Millstreet was primarily engaged in the provision of equestrian services, overseas equestrian tourism activities, the staging of the Millstreet International Horse Show and the provision of emergency accommodation to asylum seekers. In that year it made a pre-tax profit of just over €450,000, bringing accumulated profits to €910,000.

Mosney Irish Holidays PLC

The direct provision centre in Mosney, Co Meath, is operated by Co Louth businessman Phelim McCloskey and his wife Elizabeth. Mosney is an unlimited company and so does not publish its financial accounts. It is ultimately owned by an Isle of Man company called Sonning Unlimited. The last set of accounts filed by the company before it switched to unlimited status were for the year to the end of October 2009, when the company could accommodate more than 800 asylum seekers in houses and apartments in the former holiday camp.

The 2009 accounts showed a turnover of €8.8 million and a pre-tax profit of almost €123,000. Accumulated profits at the end of the year were €5.4 million. During 2009 Mosney made a €4,050 contribution to Fianna Fail and a further €1,000 contribution to Ireland for Europe, a group set up to campaign for a yes vote in the Lisbon Treaty referendum, according to the accounts.

The directors of Mosney are Mr McCloskey, Sarah Gates, and Ruth Kierans, all with addresses in Louth, Co Drogheda Ocean View Accommodation Ltd

This firm is owned by Daniel and Shirley Moore, and its directors are Andrew (21) and Alison (16) Moore, of the same address, all with addresses in Tramore. The company was incorporated in 2009 and had accumulated profits of almost €593,000 at the end of April 2014, according to its latest filed accounts. No profit figure for the year is given.

Onsite Facilities Management (OFM) Ltd

The company is owned by Jamie Carnegie (48), Catherine Leen (36), Elaine O’Connor (45) and Michelle Carnegie (40). The company’s abridged accounts do not give a profit figure but say that in the year to the end of February 2013 the company paid €312,000 to Onsite Security Management Ltd, a company owned by two of OFM’s shareholders, for security services as well as a further, undisclosed sum for management services. Accumulated losses at OFM at the end of the period were €213,833, more than €100,000 less than the accumulated loss at the end of the previous year.

Peachport Ltd

The company is owned by Deirdre (43) and Philomena (87) Germaine, of Baltinglass, Co Wicklow. It was incorporated last year and has yet to file any financial accounts. The two women are the owners of a number of other companies.

Phil Monaghan & Finian McDonnell

Phil Monaghan (69) and Finian McDonnell (64), both with addresses in Dublin, are partners in a number of building and property companies. The business is not incorporated and does not have to publish accounts.

Shaun Hennelly

Mr Hennelly (58), Taylor’s Hill, Galway, is a company director and registered owner of the business name Great Western House, Galway. The business is not incorporated and does not have to publish accounts.

Tattonward Ltd / Mo Bhaile Ltd Tattonward is owned by Hugh McGivern (56), Clontarf, Dublin, and Ian Skeffington (59), Malahide, Co Dublin and the latest abridged accounts for the company show it had accumulated losses of €33,061 at the end of 2012. No profit figure for the year is included in the accounts.

Mr McGovern and Mr Skeffington were paid €79,986 between them for their work as the company’s directors during the year.

Westbourne Holiday Hostel Ltd

This company is owned by Paul (51), Martin (64), John (59) and Nicholas (58) Kenny, with addresses respectively in Coarrigrohane, Co Cork, Limerick, Barna, Co Galway, and London. The company reported a loss of €1.36 million in the year to the end of March 2014 and the accounts state that the company is dependent on the continued support of the National Asset Management Agency if it is to remain as a going concern. Loans associated with the company and related entities were transferred to Nama in 2010.