Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 27 Feb 2001

Vol. 531 No. 3

Written Answers. - Asylum Applications.

Donal Carey

Ceist:

74 Mr. D. Carey asked the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs the level of social welfare support for those who are waiting to have their applications for refugee status determined, the number of persons in this category; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5706/01]

Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs (Mr. D. Ahern):

The income maintenance needs of asylum seekers are met for the most part by health boards which administer the supplementary welfare allowance scheme on behalf of my Department. The SWA scheme provides entitlement to any person in the State whose means are insufficient to meet their needs.

Where a person has access to some resources either in cash or in kind this is taken into account in determining entitlement to supplementary welfare allowance. This occurs in the case of asylum seekers who are being provided with full board accommodation under the direct provision system operated by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Direct provision came into effect on 10 April 2000.

Where a person in direct provision receives all meals and has access to other facilities such as laundry and leisure areas the recommended weekly allowance is £15 per adult and £7.50 per child. These rates are currently under review by a working group which I established to examine certain issues related to the assessment of need for supplementary welfare allowance purposes.

Furthermore, as is the case with all persons who are resident in the state where there are other reasonable expenses, exceptional needs payments will be made by the health board.

Asylum seekers who have not been provided with full board accommodation in direct provision and who have no other means qualify for the full standard rate of weekly SWA. This amounts to £76.00 per week for a single adult, £123.00 per week for a couple and £13.20 per week for a dependent child. Asylum seekers who arrived in the State prior to the introduction of direct provision and who live in private rented accommodation qualify for rent supplement on the same basis as other recipients. For example, a single person living in Dublin can receive up to £70 per week towards rent, while a family can receive up to £190 per week, depending on the number of people in the family.

At present there are 8,598 supplementary welfare allowance claims in respect of over 14,000 asylum seekers. Of these, just over 2,700 claims covering almost 4,200 people are in respect of people in direct provision and they receive the reduced allowance as outlined. In addition, there are 1,010 asylum seekers covered by unemployment assistance claims and the payment rates are equivalent to SWA rates. A small number of asylum seekers are in receipt of other social welfare payments such as one-parent family payments, pensions or disability allowance. Asylum seekers and refugees are also entitled to child benefit at the standard rate in respect of their children. The monthly rate is £42.50 for the first and second child increasing to £56 for third and subsequent children.