Increase to Daily Expenses Allowance insufficient: "Those without accommodation are being put under extreme pressure"

Statement from Nasc CEO, Fiona Hurley on the €75 increase to the weekly allowance of asylum seekers who are not offered accommodation.

“Asylum seekers currently receive a €38.80 weekly allowance, while minors receive just €29.80. This has long been acknowledged as an inadequate contribution towards people’s basic needs, even when they have been provided with accommodation. The allowance provided for asylum seekers has only been increased once over the last two decades, despite the rising cost of living, and plummeting standards in Direct Provision.

Those who are left without accommodation are being put under extreme pressure – we would be very concerned about the impact of street homelessness on their safety, health, and capacity to engage in the protection process. New applicants for international protection in Ireland do not have the right to work for the first six months of their application, so the new arrivals being made homeless have no options available to them to support themselves during this time. 

We know that it is an immensely challenging time for the Government to arrange accommodation for those arriving in Ireland. However, there is a legal and moral obligation on the Government to do so, and realistically this €75 weekly allowance add-on is not going to get people very far, or even keep them safe.

We really need to see a cross-departmental push by the Government to provide new accommodation developments that are in line with commitments under the White Paper on Ending Direct Provision, including built-in integration supports for new arrivals.”