An English company which is seeking to block book accommodation for asylum-seekers in Ireland does not represent or is not working on behalf of the Department of Justice, a spokesman for the Department said yesterday.
The spokesman said the company, Venture International Projects (Europe) Ltd, contacted the Department in response to its advertisements last year seeking accommodation for refugees and asylum-seekers. The company offered to source accommodation for the Department.
"We did not take up the offer but we said we would look at any offer of accommodation that was made by them," the spokesman said.
"We are aware the company has written to several B&Bs . . . Their offer, if they come back to us, will be looked at in the same way as all offers would be looked at," he added.
Mr Michael Leyden, who has an auctioneering firm in Ennis, called RTE's Liveline yesterday with details of a letter he received from the company on Monday.
The letter, signed by Mr Terry Burns, was addressed to Ardlea Guest House, Clare Road, Ennis, which is run by his wife. It said the company was seeking long-term contracts to provide beds and three meals daily for asylum-seekers.
"We are prepared to offer IR£105 plus VAT where applicable per week for each person placed in your establishment. This price includes accommodation, three meals per day (two hot and one cold), clean linen and towels weekly and guest laundry once per week, together with toiletries," the letter said.
It asked recipients to contact a freephone number in Ireland if the offer was of interest to them.
Mr Leyden said he had not contacted the company because he thought it was somebody's idea of a joke to offer £15 per day to cook three meals, provide bed, laundry and toiletries to guests.
A woman in the Skibbereen area of west Cork said when she called the freephone number she was told the search for accommodation was being carried out on behalf of the Government.
Mr Burns could not be contacted last night. According to staff at his London office he was on his way to Ireland to talk to people offering accommodation.