A newly-established Christian church group has emerged as one of the biggest providers of accommodation to asylum- seekers in the State.
The Victory Christian Fellowship Church received about €2.5 million in State funding last year to house more than 240 people seeking refugee status.
Pastor Brendan Hade, of the church, said it was involved in providing accommodation for social and commercial reasons.
Any profits made were "modest" and were subsequently invested in the church, he added.
The group runs three centres - at Kilmarnock House, Killiney, Co Dublin; Kilmacud House, Stillorgan, Co Dublin; and Milverton House, Montgomery Street, Carlow.
The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA), the State body responsible for meeting asylum- seekers' accommodation needs, has said proselytising is not permitted in any of the centres that house asylum-seekers.
Pastor Hade echoed that point when he said that residents had access to clergy of all faiths.
"We have given an undertaking that we wouldn't proselytise. We have pastors of all faiths who call [ to the centres], Jehovah's Witnesses call, Muslims call, and that's just as it should be," he told The Irish Times.
The church, which describes itself as multi-ethnic, is also planning to build a 1,000-seater auditorium on 12 acres of land in Firhouse, Dublin, to cater for growing demand.
Kilmarnock House, which accommodates 125 people, was closed temporarily earlier this year following health and safety concerns, according to the RIA. It was reopened after 10 days once the deficiencies were addressed, the agency said.
Pastor Hade said there were no plans to further expand the provision of accommodation.
On funding he said: "If you look at other charities, they raise funds for whatever they need to raise funds for. In our case, the funds we raise go into the gospel."
He said the closure of Kilmarnock House earlier this year was related to State regulations which meant that residents could not vacate a room for more than three nights.
The Department of Justice later relaxed these regulations, he said, resolving the issue.
"The concern expressed by residents was with the regulations, not with the way it was run. We were only implementing what the Department [ of Justice] required us to do," he said.
There are 74 accommodation centres across the State that provide accommodation for hundreds of asylum-seekers. The State pays the contractors, which typically include hotel or guesthouse owners, €189 to €230 per resident, per week.
Asylum-seekers in this direct provision system receive €19.10 a week from the State.
All accommodation providers and companies managing accommodation centres for asylum- seekers are required, under contract, to ensure that accommodation meets established standards for bedroom capacity, food, food hygiene, water supply, fire safety and general safety.
The agency also engages independent external assessors to conduct comprehensive inspections of all centres.
A complaints procedure is also operated in all accommodation centres so that complaints by residents can be brought to the attention of management of the centre and the RIA.
For staff working in the three accommodation centres, a code of practice is in place which sets out the standards of professional practice that is required while working with asylum-seekers, the agency said.