Accommodation

Photo by Conor Healy: Asylum seekers, refugees and IRC staff members and partners taking part in the Dublin City Marathon 2007 wearing T-shirts with the slogan

Photo by Conor Healy: Asylum seekers, refugees and IRC staff members and partners taking part in the Dublin City Marathon 2007 wearing T-shirts with the slogan '€19.10 = Not fair'.


Direct Provision

The system of Direct Provision, which was officially introduced by the Irish Government in 2000, requires those seeking asylum or leave to remain to live in the state designated accommodation centres.


Asylum seekers are not allowed to work or study and are dependent on the allowance of €19.10 per week (adults) €9.60 (children). They spend long periods in inactivity, often leading to depression, social isolation and poverty.

Ireland is one of only two of the 27 members states which have opted out of the EU ‘Reception Directive' which provides for minimum conditions for asylum seekers, including the right to work after waiting for a year for a decision.


The work of the Irish Refugee Council (IRC)

The IRC is opposed to direct provision and works to replace it with a more humane system whereby asylum seekers can live with dignity, to gain the skills needed to integrate and to contribute to Irish society. We also support asylum seekers in improving their immediate conditions through advocacy and, where necessary, public campaigning


This work includes listening to and supporting the voice of asylum seekers, research, advocacy and public awareness.


Some current issues and demands include:

  • A time limit: No one should spend more than 6 months in direct provision, unable to work.
  • Suitable accomodation for particularly vulnerable groups, such as families with children, torture survivors etc.
  • A fair and effective complaints procedure and an independent monitoring system to ensure that accommodation centres comply with basic standards.
  • An increase in the living allowance from €19.10 to €60 per week.
  • An end to overcrowding and poor conditions in Direct Provision.
  • A fair system of dispersal and transfers between centres, taking into account the needs of individuals including victims of torture or those with particular medical needs.
  • Training for staff and residents in direct provision, including training in handling conflict and diversity.