Author
The Reception Conditions Regulations 2018 define “material reception conditions” as: (a) housing, food and associated in-kind benefits; (b) the daily expenses allowance; and (c) financial allowance for clothing.[1]
Daily expenses allowance
The Direct Provision allowance, referred to as the daily expenses allowance under the Reception Conditions Regulations, is a payment made to protection applicants for personal and incidental expenses. The rate of the payment remained static until 2019 and was consistently the subject of criticism, including by the McMahon Working Group. The criticism stated that the weekly allowance was wholly inadequate to meet essential needs such as clothing including for school going children and it did not enable participation in social and community activities. The weekly allowance was also often used to supplement the food provided at Direct Provision centres. The Working Group recommended that the weekly allowance be increased for adults from € 19.10 to € 38.74 and increased from € 9.60 to € 29.80 for children.[2] A group of migrant advocacy organisations called for the daily expenses allowance to be increased during the pandemic. This request was refused. Further calls in 2023[3] to increase the DEA in line with inflation also have not received a positive response. Research commissioned by the Irish Refugee Council in October 2023 demonstrated the inadequacy of the Daily Expenses Allowance in covering basic needs of families and children living in Direct Provision. The research determined that basic needs were often unmet. Insufficient nutritional support, transportation limitations, partial healthcare coverage, a lack of organised leisure activities, and difficulties accessing essential amenities were among issues facing participants.
While the Daily Expenses Allowance (DEA) is designed to cover personal and incidental expenses while basic needs are being met by the State, participants stated that they were spending a considerable portion of the funds on clothing, medicines, toiletries, transportation, and items for their children such as diapers, wipes, and school lunch supplies. Key findings included that 88% of parents surveyed felt that the DEA was insufficient to cover basic needs such as food and healthcare. Over 80% of respondents indicated that the DEA was insufficient to cover many of their children’s basic needs. 49% of respondents stated that their child’s DEA was spent on meeting childcare related expenses. Moreover, 84% stated that the DEA is insufficient to cover childcare-related needs, while 57% of respondents faced challenges in saving money for future needs or emergencies.[4]
In May 2024, the Department of Social Protection announced that an income assessment for the DEA would be introduced. The income assessment is applicable to individuals over the age of 18 years and will apply in respect of income from employment, self-employment, and social welfare payments. If a person’s income is above €60 and below €125, their reduced rate of DEA will be based on their earnings. If a person’s income is €60 or less, their DEA payment will not be affected. The DEA will cease whereby an individual has an income of more than €125 per week for a combined total of 12 weeks or more.[5] The income assessment was introduced from June 2024. At the time of updating, it was not clear the extent to which the assessment was enforced in practice.[6]
As of January 2025, protection applicants received a weekly allowance of € 38.80 per adult and € 29.80 per child.
Other financial support
Section 15 of the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Act 2009 states that an individual who does not have a “right to reside” in the State shall not be regarded as being habitually resident in the State. As protection applicants do not have a right to reside in Ireland, they are excluded from social welfare. Under the IPA this prohibition remains unless a person has a pre-existing right to work on their previous status in Ireland.
The Working Group report noted that “apart from the weekly allowance, residents are not eligible to apply for other social protection supports with the exception of Exceptional Needs Payments (ENPs) and the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance”.[7]
The Exceptional Needs Payment is a discretionary payment made by a Welfare Officer on receipt of an application for a one-off payment, rather than an ongoing liability. It is relied upon by protection applicants because it is an exception to the general rule regarding habitual residence. For example, it is often the only way to pay for transport costs. However, it is a highly discretionary payment with a limited appeals mechanism. In the experience of the Irish Refugee Council, there is anecdotal evidence that there can be wide differences in how the Exceptional Needs Payment is administered, depending on which centre the asylum applicant is living in.
In July 2023, the Irish Refugee Council called upon the Government to permit access to child benefit for children living in Direct Provision.[8] The Government subsequently committed to introducing an International Protection Child Payment (IPCP) of approximately €140 per month, securing €4.7 million in Budget 2024 for the purposes of establishing the payment.[9] Despite this commitment, as well as calls from numerous concerned organisations since, as of February 2025, no such payment had been implemented.
Additionally, in May 2023, the Irish Refugee Council called for an increase in the weekly payment of €38.80 to unaccommodated international protection applicants, asserting that the payment was completely insufficient to meet a person’s basic needs while experiencing homelessness.[10] Subsequently, in December 2023, following the announcement by the International Protection Service that it was no longer in a position to position to provide beds for all international protection applicants due to a “severe shortage” of accommodation, the State increased the DEA for unaccommodated protection applicants by €75.00 per week, bringing to €113.80 the total weekly payment made to unaccommodated international protection applicants.
[1] Regulation 2 Reception Conditions Regulations 2018.
[2] Working Group to report to Government on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers, Final Report June 2015, para 5.30, 208.
[3] Irish Refugee Council, Budget 2024 submission, ‘Adressing poverty in Direct Provision’, July 2023, available: here.
[4] Irish Refugee Council, ‘Living in International Protection Accommodation: Exploring the Experiences of Families and Children in Direct Provision’, 5 October 2023, available: here.
[5] Department of Social Protection, ‘Daily Expense Allowance – Income Assessment’, 12 June 2024, available: here.
[6] Information provided by Irish Refugee Council Information and Advocacy Service, January 2025.
[7] Working Group to report to Government on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers, Final Report June 2015, para 5.5, 203.
[8] Irish Refugee Council, Budget 2024 submission, ‘Adressing poverty in Direct Provision’, July 2023, available: here.
[9] Irish Times, ‘Almost 9,000 children in direct provision not eligible for double child benefit payment’, 29 October 2024, available: here.
[10] Irish Refugee Council, ‘Now I live on the road: The Expereince of Homeless International Protection Applicants in Ireland, June 2023, available: here.