Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I thank the Cathaoirleach. I want to talk about children in direct provision. In February 2021, the Government published a White Paper to end direct provision and to establish a new international protection support service. The White Paper included a commitment to introduce an additional monthly payment per child for a child in international protection. However, here we are, more than three years later and the payments have still not been made. The Government committed €4.7 million under budget 2024 to develop a payment to children in international protection.

The payment would have been worth €1.40 per month per child. The Government said that this commitment was important to help reduce the very high rate of poverty this group of children experienced. No one would disagree with that. However, as we come to the end of the year and, frankly, the end of this Government's term, that payment still has not been implemented. What is holding up this payment? This needs to be implemented as a priority. The Government said that budget 2024 strongly reflected a focus on reducing child poverty and promoting children's well-being. Children and young people in direct provision have been left behind in this very important work. They are the only group of children who are not receiving any additional supports, or can receive any such supports during the cost-of-living crisis.

When we talk about reducing child poverty, we must talk about reducing child poverty for all children. A number of civil society organisations which worked with and for children and young people across the country, including children in direct provision, have been calling for this for some time.

Civil society organisations tell us that the lack of proper incomes means that children living in direct provision face childhood poverty more severely. They tell us that children are eating cold meals because their families have no access to cooking facilities and no money to afford hot food. Families in direct provision cannot cover the cost of school expenses, uniforms, school trips, etc, by living on just €29 per week.

What are the barriers to implementing this child payment and could the Minister of State commit that all measures to alleviate child poverty in budget 2024 and budget 2025 will be implemented for all children, including children in direct provision?

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I thank the Senator for raising this issue.

Applicants for international protection who are awaiting a decision on their application are offered accommodation by the International Protection Accommodation Services 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 on behalf of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. This is paid to protection applicants who reside in or are on a waiting list for accommodation provided by the International Protection Accommodation Services in order to meet incidental personal expenses. The rate of the allowance is €38.80 per week for an adult and €29.80 per week for a child. An increased rate of €113.80 per week for an adult applies where a person is unaccommodated and is on a waiting list for the provision of accommodation from the International Protection Accommodation Service.

In the week ending 5 October, there were approximately 13,100 claims awarded supporting approximately 20,600 people, including children.

In budget 2025, the Minister, Deputy O’Gorman, secured Government approval for €8.4 million for the international protection child payment. Once introduced, the child payment will be a weekly payment of €32.31 to be paid in respect of each eligible child. The child payment is a key component of this budget’s focus on tackling child poverty in line with this Government’s ambition to eradicate child poverty. The child payment will support families in the international protection system, help reduce the high rates of poverty experienced by this group, promote social inclusion and facilitate improved integration.The introduction of an international protection child payment is a key commitment in the comprehensive accommodation strategy for international protection applicants.

As I mentioned, the White Paper to end direct provision and establish a new international protection support service was published in February 2020. The proposed international protection child payment for children in direct provision was contemplated in that paper. The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, is leading the implementation of the recommendations contained in the White Paper. There is ongoing engagement between the Minister and the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, on these matters.

A changing global situation necessitated a review of the implementation approach for the White Paper. The review has included inputs from the White Paper programme board and the external advisory group and has resulted in the development of a new comprehensive accommodation strategy for international protection applicants. The strategy seeks to address the current accommodation shortfall while reforming the system over the longer term to ensure that the State will always be able to meet its international commitments.

In March, the Government agreed a new comprehensive accommodation strategy for international protection applicants and Department of Social Protection officials are in ongoing engagement with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on this matter, both bilaterally and on a cross-government basis. There is ongoing engagement across Government on matters relating to international protection and the issue of an international protection child payment forms part of that engagement.

Eileen Flynn (Independent)
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I understand that the Minister of State does not have responsibility in this area but the reply is not good enough. He went into the issue of accommodation and the €30 per week that families in direct provision get but my question was about the implementation of the payment of €140 per month. If it is not good enough for white, settled children then why is it good enough for children living in direct provision? Why is the Government not supporting children in direct provision? Mark my words, if we are alive to see the next 20 or 30 years, this State will have to give a State apology for how it treated people in direct provision, for the inequality and for standing by the unfair treatment of children living in direct provision. I do not mean to sound in any way hateful towards the Minister of State - far from it - but this is absolutely appalling. The money is there and the plan to implement the payment is there. Why the Government cannot move on it is beyond me. Who are we to say that one child matters more than another? Right now, the Government of Ireland is saying that a child living in direct provision matters less than a child living in ordinary accommodation.

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I cannot think of too many policy areas that are more important than trying to tackle child poverty, both for the here and now and into the future as well. In terms of the Minister for children's role in that regard and the White Paper, he has secured the budget. We have had engagement with the Department of Social Protection on what the rates of payment would be like for each child but we need the Department of Social Protection to implement this, to roll out the payment. Frankly, I do not have a good explanation for the Senator as to why that is not happening. That is an issue. I thank the Senator for raising it.