Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 September 2018
214. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the weekly allowance for children living in direct provision to the current rate for a qualified child including a €5 increase for over 12's and the adult weekly allowance to €38.80 as recommended by the working group on the protection process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39306/18]
View answerIreland has opted in to the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive with effect from 30 June 2018. As a result, direct provision allowance is being renamed daily expenses allowance. The Government has provided over €5.6 million for the allowance in 2018. This is paid to applicants for international protection who live in the direct provision system where they are provided with full board accommodation and other facilities/services by the Reception and Integration Agency of the Department of Justice and Equality.
The allowance is currently paid at the rate of €21.60 per week per adult and per child. There are approximately 3,700 adults and 1,500 children residing in the system of direct provision in respect of whom the allowance is being paid.
The McMahon Report on Improvements to the Protection Process recommended that the adult rate of the allowance should be increased to €38.74.
The additional full-year cost, based on the current numbers, of increasing the weekly adult rate, for each adult, from €21.60 to €38.74 is approximately €3.3 million.
The additional full-year cost, based on the current numbers, of increasing the weekly child rate, for all children, from €21.60 to €31.80 is approximately €795,600.
The additional full-year cost of providing an extra €5 per for children aged over 12 years is approximately €58,500.
Any increases to the rate of this allowance would have to be approved by Government and considered in a budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
