Written answers

Tuesday, 12 February 2008

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Asylum Support Services

9:00 pm

Photo of Róisín ShortallRóisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 525: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of people in receipt of a direct provision allowance. [5266/08]

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers through the Government policy of Direct Provision while their applications for asylum are being processed. The Direct Provision system provides asylum seekers with full board accommodation, free of utility or other costs. In addition to meeting these basic living costs, a Direct Provision allowance of €19.10 per adult and €9.60 per child was introduced some years ago and is paid by Community Welfare Officers (CWO), operating under the aegis of the Department of Social and Family Affairs. CWO's also have discretion to make once-off exceptional needs payments in relation to, for example, back to school clothing.

I am informed by the Minister for Social and Family Affairs that at the end of 2007, there were 3,456 recipients of the above mentioned direct provision allowance payments. Unless viewed in context, this figure may serve to mislead. It needs to be understood that a single payment for an entire family would be made to whichever spouse makes the application for the allowance in the first instance, rather than each family member receiving an individual payment. Therefore, a more accurate reflection of the numbers in receipt of the allowance is to state that (i) all asylum seekers in direct provision are entitled to the allowance and (ii) at the end of 2007, the RIA was providing direct provision services to 6,625 persons. To further explain the context, in addition to CWO's having discretion to make once-off exceptional needs payments, asylum seekers in direct provision qualify for medical cards and can access the public health service in the same way as an Irish citizen.

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