Taoiseach and Ministers confirm asylum seekers may be asked to contribute to accommodation
Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe and Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys stated that the proposals touted by Taoiseach Simon Harris on Thursday morning would be "sensible" and "reasonable"
Asylum seekers will be asked to contribute towards their accommodation and services under new plans being assessed by the Government.
Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe and Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys stated that the proposals touted by Taoiseach Simon Harris on Thursday morning would be "sensible" and "reasonable".
Minister Humphreys also confirmed that 6,000 International Protection applicants have had their weekly allowance of €38.80 taken away from them.
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Asylum seekers living in State-provided accommodation are entitled to a weekly allowance.
At the Fine Gael think-in in Tullamore on Wednesday, Mr Harris told his parliamentary party that the Government would "consider further changes to the supports available to those seeking asylum in this country".
He later told RTÉ that he believed asylum seekers should contribute to their accommodation if they are "earning an income".
"There’s people in this country who come here and seek international protection who do have a right to work – and by the way, we’re very pleased they do work and I thank them for the contribution they make to the Irish economy," he said.
"I do think it’s fair, though, that if you’re working and earning an income that you make some contribution towards the services the State is providing."
Minister Donohoe said that it was "sensible" to ask people to contribute.
"The many billions of euros that we have rightfully spent to provide accommodation and to provide support to those who have come to our country in a really difficult way and at times, having experienced real and terrible trauma," he said on the second day of the think-in.
"But what the Taoiseach was indicating, that I think is a very sensible approach, is that after helping people cope with the transition to our country, giving them the support and the accommodation that they need, if they are in a position that they then gain a job, that, as they gain a job and they're paid for that job, that the support they get from the State reflect that and be adjusted accordingly.
"I think that it's a very reasonable approach. We have an economy that is at full employment. We have employers all over the country that want to get more people working in them, and the vast majority of those that I have met coming to our country, looking for support, looking for a new home either want to work or want to be in college or want to be studying.
"As we're successful in getting to that point, and therefore, as they look at Ireland being their home for longer, it is appropriate, therefore that the support we gave them when they were in an emergency is changed to reflect that."
Minister Donohoe said the sort of contribution people are asked to make will be considered in the coming weeks and will reflect on matters such as what a person’s job is and what sort of income they are earning.
Minister Humphreys stated that the contribution would be towards accommodation and services.
She added: "We have removed about 6,000 IPAS people who were working and they were in State provided accommodation, so they no longer received that allowance of €38.80 per week."
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