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Irish Post
7 days ago
- Business
- Irish Post
Tánaiste Simon Harris says proposals for working asylum seekers to pay rent are ‘reasonable'
SIMON Harris's proposal that working asylum seekers contribute to the cost of their accommodation has been described as 'quite unfair' by migrant advocacy groups. Speaking to the Independent, Harris said it is 'reasonable' for those with jobs to contribute to their housing costs based on a means test, calling it 'important for social cohesion.' The average cost of accommodating an asylum seeker is estimated at €84 per day, or over €580 per week. With state spending on asylum accommodation exceeding €1 billion last year—up 54% from 2023—the government is under pressure to manage growing costs. 'If you are working and have the means, you should be making a contribution,' Harris said, adding that the policy should be introduced quickly. However, John Lannon, CEO of migrant support organisation Doras, has criticised the move. He said many asylum seekers are living in substandard, overcrowded accommodation, with hundreds still housed in tents. 'It's all very well asking people to contribute,' Lannon told Newstalk Breakfast , 'but we need to consider what they're contributing to.' He pointed out that asylum seekers face significant employment barriers: jobs are typically low-paid, require long travel, and involve unsociable hours. Many hold qualifications that are not recognised in Ireland or the EU. 'Families in the international protection system… can't access childcare. These children don't get the supports others take for granted,' Lannon said. Asylum seekers can seek employment six months after applying for protection. A previous means-testing regime introduced by the Department of Social Protection led to over 5,000 asylum seekers losing weekly welfare payments after securing full-time work. The government's new plan would go further, introducing income-linked rent contributions based on financial means. While the government says reforms are necessary to ensure sustainability, campaigners say such measures risk deepening inequality for already vulnerable people. However, Ireland's asylum system and the services it provides are considered among the most generous in Europe, if not the world. Ireland provides social welfare payments, including a weekly allowance (the Direct Provision Additional Payment, or DEA) and access to medical cards, to asylum seekers. The DEA provides a weekly allowance, with the maximum rate in 2025 being €38.80 per person, according to Citizens Information. At present, there are over 32,000 people living in state-provided accommodation—up from 7,000 in 2021. Despite small drops in arrivals recently, the pressure on housing and resources remains a major political issue. See More: Asylum Seeker, DEA, John Lannon, Tánaiste Simon Harris
Irish Independent
13-07-2025
- Irish Independent
More than 400 stowaways turned away from Irish ports in space of four years
Figures released by the Department of Justice show 91 people were detected last year attempting a 'clandestine entry' into the country on a passenger or freight ferry. A spokesperson for the department said the individuals were refused leave to land following their detection. The figures relating to attempted entries through a sea border in Ireland have risen from 56 in 2020 at the height of the pandemic to a high of 119 in 2022. There were 435 stowaways detected in total between 2020 and 2024. There were 96 stowaways in 2021, 73 in 2023 and 91 last year. No figures for this year are available officially so far. In January, nine men were found in a container in Rosslare Europort, which led to calls for the French port authorities to put stricter security in place. Two men were also found in a container at Rosslare Europort last October, and gardaí launched a human-trafficking probe following the discovery of 14 people in a shipping container in Rosslare Europort in January last year. In contrast to the numbers of migrants arriving by small boats in the UK, the Department of Justice said there have been no 'small boat' arrivals in Ireland over the past five years. Marine experts say this is due to the much longer distance from France to Ireland and the rougher seas. John Lannon, the chief executive of migrants rights organisation Doras, said immigration policies force people seeking international protection to make dangerous decisions to board small boats or to hide in containers and lorries making ferry crossings. 'They often do so because they see no better alternatives and as a result they often end up in situations where their lives are at risk,' he said. 'Policies designed to make it more difficult for people to seek international protection in Ireland are dangerous and misguided. They put people's lives at greater risk and are playing into the hands of smugglers and traffickers.' Up to the end of last May, he said there were 5,037 applications for international protection in Ireland, compared to 9,199 in 2024. 'Forcing freight companies and lorry drivers to have to take preventative measures to stop people stowing away on their vehicles or containers has the effect of preventing people who want and need to apply for asylum in Ireland from doing so,' he said. 'Equally, we know people regularly need to escape from persecution or war without valid documents, as getting these from a government that's persecuting you is not possible.'
The Journal
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
'Less pressure on the system' due to drop-off in asylum applications since start of year
THE NUMBER OF applications by people seeking asylum in Ireland has almost halved compared to last year. This drop has eased pressure in the accommodation system, according to groups working the sector, resulting in less demand for beds and making it more likely for the government to not progress plans for accommodation centres in some instances. This week has seen confirmation that some prominent locations will not be used for International Protection Accommodation Services (Ipas). The former Crown Paints site in Coolock has been ruled out – almost a year after protests turned into violence amid opposition to the plans – and a smaller site in The Liberties was also rejected. From January to April this year – as per data published by the International Protection Office – there has been a 43% drop in applications for Ireland's asylum system here compared to the same timeframe for last year. The total number of applications for international protection up to April for this year was 4,096 – a significant fall compared to the 7,187 applications for the same period last year. Advertisement A statement by the Department of Justice – which recently took over responsibility for Ireland's asylum system – explained that among its considerations when deciding on the Coolock site was the 'current level of need in the sector'. It said it also gives consideration to the location, access to services and welfare of residents. John Lannon, chief executive of Limerick-based humanitarian organisation Doras, which works with refugees and asylum seekers, told The Journal that he believes the government has become 'pragmatic' about centres in light of the reduced pressure. 'The numbers of people applying for international protection have gone down, which is obviously resulting in a bit less pressure on the system,' he said. Lannon also pointed to a shift from Ukrainian to Ipas accommodation by some private sector providers as also freeing up space for asylum seekers, thereby lessening the need for new accommodation centres. 'And if and where they're successful then that helps to ease up room,' Lannon said. 'The consequence of that, of course, is that you get Ukrainians who have started to make a life for themselves in one part of the country, then they are uprooted and brought to a different part of the country .' Lannon said that 'huge efforts' had been made to try and get people who've received documentation out of the existing Ipas centres, which he said has not been as successful because of the lack of availability of housing. A further issue that sometimes halts the development of some centres is where planning issues are identified early on in a development, leading to compliance issues or problems facing the accommodation provider over whether they can demonstrate that they can be compliant with planning regulations. This has lead to some failing to meet early hurdles according to figures working in the sector. However, Lannon said he was concerned by the opposition that has remained to Ipas centres in communities and said that community engagement often isn't enough when the same areas suffer from inadequate GP care and school places. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
15-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
‘Disruptive, stressful and difficult' – Closure of Ukrainian accommodation centres to impact 2,400 people
According the the department, the need for accommodation for people fleeing the war in Ukraine is decreasing across the country. This means that some Ukraine accommodation centres will be closing, and some people will be asked to move to new accommodation. Other reasons for the closures include providers choosing to end contracts, compliance concerns or rates not being agreed. There are currently 24,400 people residing in 680 State-supported Ukraine accommodation and approximately 420 contracts ended in 2024 which released 15,000 beds for 'other uses'. It is understood that around 2,400 people are likely to be affected by a contract ending in 32 properties between now and early August. The Department said the process was paused for the duration of March to allow for greater planning and notice periods for residents and that relocations of residents from some properties are now planned to begin in June and continue throughout the summer period. The Ukrainian accommodation centres affected are across 17 counties including Limerick, Cork, Clare and Kerry. The list of accommodation centres returning to original or alternative use in Limerick include Ballyhoura Luxury Hostel, Westbourne Student Accommodation Complex, Celtic Park, Punches Residence and Cratloe Wood Village. The closures in Limerick will affect approximately 250 Ukrainian refugees as they are likely to be moved from Limerick to another county. In Cork, an estimated 821 Ukrainians will be impacted across six centres due to close. Speaking to the Irish Independent about the impact of this move for Ukrainian people, Doras CEO John Lannon said: 'We know there's been a pause on closures and relocations of Ukrainians over the last couple of months but they are now starting again. "They're very disruptive for people and stressful and difficult. Families and people who've started to make a life for themselves within a community who might have been in Limerick for the last two years will be uprooted and moved to another part of the country where they have to get their children, who have already been through the stresses of war, into a new school, start to make new friends and this sets them back in their development.' He continued: "We also know that people who have been in Limerick for a couple of years will have been in employment, they will lose their jobs, they will have to find other work in the new locations they go to, employers lose valuable staff, that it'll be difficult to replace, they've already invested in the training of those staff. Mr Lannon referenced one centre in Limerick where residents have pets which he said makes it difficult as these pets possibly won't be facilitated in the new location that they go to. He said: "The other thing is access to healthcare and again, we know the shortage of GPs that exists right across the country, but if people need medical support here in Limerick, finding a GP that can take them in a new location and establishing a relationship with that GP or perhaps people need to get to a hospital, actually being within proximity of a hospital is unlikely and that presents difficulties from a health point of view.' John concluded: "We're calling for engagement locally to see if alternatives can be found locally for people that are living in centres that are closing, nationally, we are calling for a phased approach to closures as well, not doing them all at the same time which presents particular difficulties.' "We do know that the likes of the local authority integration team work hard to try to find resolution locally for people but it's not possible if there are several closures at the same time.' The full list of accommodation centres returning to original or alternative use are as follows: Carlow College Student Accommodation Carlow; Nannys B&B, Meath; Mont Vista Westmeath; Dundrum House Hotel, Tipperary; Golden Mile Retreats Cavan; Ballyhoura Luxury Hostel, Limerick; The Eldon Hotel, Cork; Ballinafad House, Mayo; Rustic Inn, Longford; Carrigrohane Student Village (Double Rooms), Cork; Carrigrohane Student Village (Single Rooms), Cork; IEC Kanturk, Cork; Summerhill Apartments, Donegal; The Hydro Hotel, Clare; Kilkee Marine Hotel, Clare; Kilkee Townhouse, Clare; Bayview Hotel, Donegal; Clarion Village, Sligo; Westbourne Student Accommodation Complex, Limerick; Celtic Park, Limerick; Hotel Newport Holiday Apartments, Mayo; Maldron Hotel Dublin Airport, Dublin; Punches Residence, Limerick; Cratloe Wood Village (B1) Limerick; Cratloe Wood Village (B2), Limerick; Dun Aras, Galway; The Kings Court Student Complex, Kerry; Grand Hotel Fermoy, Cork; Merriman Hotel, Galway; The Avon, Wicklow; The Quality Hotel, Cork; Harry's Hotel in Kinnegad, Westmeath; Skellig Accommodation Centre, Kerry; Foyle Hotel, Donegal.
