Asylum seekers must pay ‘€15 a week’ for state accommodation – The Irish Times

Working asylum seekers in state-provided accommodation could be required to pay a weekly contribution of €15 towards this support under a new fee currently being considered by the government.

A group of senior officials from the relevant departments are believed to have discussed a minimum fee of €15 per week at a meeting in recent days, an amount that will be examined by the Cabinet Subcommittee on Migration before the Government makes a final decision this month.

Currently, asylum seekers living in state accommodation are entitled to 38.80 euros per week. There is an additional allowance of 29.80 euros for each child in a family.

Applicants for international protection have the right to seek work in Ireland once they have lived in the country for six months after applying for asylum. If they have worked for more than 12 weeks and their income is above a threshold of €135, this allowance may be reduced.

A further 5,000 people who have been granted leave to stay in Ireland are still living in direct provision, many of them working. As the Irish Times reported in May last year, the Government is also considering asking them to contribute towards the cost of their accommodation. This issue is also expected to be taken up by Cabinet. However, some ministers have expressed concern that such a contribution could be construed as “rent” in these cases, opening up the possibility of a tenant-landlord legal relationship.

Earlier this year, Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman announced cuts to the allowance and also imposed time limits on stays in state-provided accommodation. His department pledged to keep the situation under review to ensure Ireland's system was not incompatible with that of other European states.

One such review, launched in the summer, concluded that a model of contributions to accommodation was the best approach.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said the change was appropriate.

“We have a full employment economy and the vast majority of [asylum seekers] I either felt the desire to work or the desire to go to college.

“As they consider Ireland their home for an extended period of time, it is appropriate that the support we give them is adjusted accordingly.”

Social Minister Heather Humphreys said her department had already initiated proceedings to withdraw workers' entitlement to the weekly payment of €38.80.

“This (proposal) is about contributing towards rent and I think that's fair. I think if people are working, they should contribute.”

The issue is expected to be brought before the Cabinet Subcommittee on Migration next week before being put before a plenary meeting of all ministers for approval later this month.

Separately, Ms Humphreys reiterated that she was in favour of doubling child benefit as part of the cost of living package. She said the measure was very popular. She also said she personally supported Mr O'Gorman's proposal to give parents of newborns a one-off payment of €560.