Vol. 540 No. 2
25 Mr. B. Hayes asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the cost of supporting through direct provision the welfare needs of persons who are waiting for their refugee applications to be determined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19758/01]
I understand the cost to which the Deputy refers is the cost of supplementary welfare allowance payments made to asylum seekers whose basic needs are met through the direct provision system. The main objective of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is to make up the difference between a person's needs and their means, whether in cash or in kind. Where a person has access to certain resources in kind or in cash, through the social welfare system or otherwise, the relevant legislation requires that this be taken into account in determining entitlement to supplementary welfare allowance.
This occurs in the case of asylum seekers in direct provision who are being provided with full board accommodation, all meals and other services. In such cases, the recommended weekly allowance is £15 per adult and £7.50 per child to provide for personal requisites. Where there are other reasonable expenses, exceptional needs payments are made by the health boards.
There are currently approximately 2,825 households comprising 3,391 adults and 833 children in direct provision. The cost of weekly supplementary welfare allowance payments to this number of people is just under £3 million for a full year. In addition, exceptional needs payments are also usually paid to asylum seekers on arrival in Ireland. The average payment during the first six months of 2001 was £77, with a total of just under £338,000. The total value during 2001 is expected to be less than £700,000. Further exceptional needs payments may be made when the people concerned enter direct provision accommodation. However, such payments are not recorded as a separate category and their total value is not known.
In summary, therefore, the total cost of social welfare payments made to asylum seekers in direct provision is of the order of £4 million per annum. The cost of the other aspects of direct provision such as accommodation, meals and services is considerably more than this. These costs are met by my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, who has responsibility for the direct provision scheme.
Given that the Minister's Department has spent £4 million on catering for the needs of asylum seekers, will he outline his view on whether people seeking asylum here should be entitled to work after six months? The Cabinet, in the form of the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, is split on this issue. As Minister with direct responsibility for the provision of benefit payments, what is the Minister's view?
The Government has made a decision on this issue which I support.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): Does the Minister agree with it?
Yes. The question of whether asylum seekers should be entitled to work is not directly within my remit. Some £4 million has been spent overall in the area of direct provision but this does not take into account the additional costs under my Department's Vote which we estimate will be in the region of £57 million overall for this year, including the £4 million.
The Minister previously informed the House that he considers employment to be the route out of poverty and social exclusion. The Irish Refugee Council recently issued a recommendation on the need to allow asylum seekers to work. People who have been in Ireland for more than six months and are awaiting determination of their applications cannot work. Why does the Minister support a system which provides an umbilical cord between asylum seekers and social welfare dependency? Does he agree it would be sensible and just to afford asylum seekers an opportunity to work after six months?
Collective responsibility requires that I agree with Government policy in this area.
The Minister should tell that to the Tánaiste.
The Deputy is in effect suggesting we rewrite UN rules on asylum seekers. Is it now Fine Gael policy to totally rewrite the UN rules laid down in regard to refugees and asylum seekers?
It is our policy that asylum seekers should be allowed to work. The Minister is clearly not up to speed on this issue. The European Commission supports the view that asylum seekers whose applications are not determined within six months should be entitled to work. This is the subject of a draft directive. In the light of his laudable comments on unemployment and the need to move people away from social welfare dependency and social exclusion into mainstream society, will the Minister get off the fence and outline his personal view on whether these people should be entitled to work? Will he practice what he preaches? Does he really support the totalitarian notions emanating from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on this issue since 1999?
The policy being implemented by the Government is no different to the policy implemented by governments of every hue on this issue which is exacerbated by the numbers of asylum seekers in the country. We cannot, nor will we, rewrite rules in this area. Each asylum seeker is entitled to have his or her application determined according to the international rules of asylum. The Deputy referred to a draft directive which is not yet law. An effort was made to allow certain asylum seekers to work here but the Government's position remains unchanged.
