Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Connolly for the question. Applicants for international protection who are awaiting a decision on their application are offered accommodation by the International Protection Accommodation Service, IPAS, of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. Those who accept such accommodation are provided with material reception conditions, including food and health services, together with other facilities and services designed to ensure their needs are met while seeking the protection of the State. The Department of Social Protection administers the daily expenses allowance which is paid to protection applicants who reside in accommodation provided by IPAS in order to meet personal expenses.

To receive child benefit in Ireland parents must be habitually resident in the State. The habitual residence condition is designed to provide entitlement to non-contributory benefits, including child benefit, to those who have established their connection to Ireland. Applicants for international protection do not satisfy the habitual residence condition and are, therefore, not eligible for child benefit. The habitual residence condition is provided for in Irish social welfare legislation and is in accordance with EU legislation and with European Court of Justice jurisprudence.

The White Paper on Ending Direct Provision was published in February 2020. It sets out a structure for a two-phase approach to accommodating applicants for international protection. In phase 1, the Department of Social Protection will continue to provide a daily expenses allowance as the income support payment to protection applicants while they reside in a reception and integration centre. In phase 2, applicants will move to accommodation in the community. A new international protection payment will be made by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to those protection applicants resident in the community who are still awaiting a decision on their application for protection.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is leading the implementation of the recommendations contained in the White Paper to End Direct Provision. The Department has ongoing engagement with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on these issues bilaterally and on a cross-Government basis.

Any potential new payment to children in the international protection process equivalent to child benefit is a matter for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The role of the Department of Social Protection, if any, will be that of facilitator of any such payment.

See this speech in context