Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

——let me draw attention the case of people whose needs have been overlooked in recent years and who do not exercise a great deal of political clout because they do not have a vote. I refer to approximately 6,000 asylum seekers who are in receipt of direct provision. This is the arrangement whereby the State pays for their board and lodgings. They are not permitted to work or claim social welfare benefits in the normal way while their asylum claims are being processed. As we know, processing can take considerable time.

When the system of direct provision was introduced in 1999, a payment was introduced to cover the incidental expenses asylum seekers might have, including the cost of bus fares, additional food and Christmas gifts. It is a weekly payment that amounts to €19.10 for adults and €9.60 for children. The problem is that the payment has not been increased since 1999. It still stands at €19.10. It is not a great bounty and one would not go wild on it. I need not remind the Taoiseach the number of times that he and the rest of us have seen increases in our salaries since 1999. Would he consider, at this time of the year, bringing that €19.10 into line with the movement in incomes over the period of time since 1999? It is very regrettable that this small allowance has not been increased in that period of time. The number of people involved is declining because the number of asylum applications is on the way down. The Government could make a generous gesture at this time of the year.

See this speech in context