The Government is planning to house more than 750 asylum seekers in the North-West region including Donegal, Cavan, Sligo, Leitrim and Monaghan in the coming years.
There are plans to house nearly 5,500 asylum seekers in new direct provision centres across the State at a cost of more than €320 million over the coming years.
The Irish Times reports that contracts for direction provision centres in Donegal and the rest of the North-West is valued at €46 million and would last for between two and four years.
Tender documents show the Department of Justice is seeking providers to operate centres in eight regions covering the 26 counties.
Aidan O’Driscoll, the department’s secretary general, has said a programme of engagement will be carried out with communities as the locations of the centres are finalised.
It is understood that the department will begin analysing the bids for the contracts in the coming weeks.
The department has been under pressure to find accommodation for asylum seekers following 3,762 applications in the first nine months of this year, the highest level since 2008.
There was a 20 per cent increase in demand for direct provision accommodation last year and this is expected to rise further this year.
A direct provision centre at a hotel in Moville has still not opened after it was the subject of an arson attack before it was due to open.
A Garda investigation into the attack is still ongoing.
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