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A screen grab from a video made by 27 young people seeking asylum alone in Ireland during a six-day Easter Camp on human rights organised by the Irish Refugee Council and UNICEF in 2013

You’ll recall how a working group set up by the Government last year is reviewing the direct provision system in Ireland which is 15 years old this week.

The group is expected to publish a report next month.

There are more than 4,000 asylum seekers in Ireland, and they’re living in 34 accommodation centres across the country. Asylees are not allowed to work. Instead, adults receive €19.10 a week, while children receive €9.60 per week.

As the direct provision system is 15 years old this week, the Human Rights In Ireland blog is publishing a series of contributions from asylum seekers, artists, social workers, and activists about the system.

Further to this.

Dr Liam Thornton writes, on the blog, writes:

I received documentation a number of weeks ago, in an envelope with no note or attachments and do not know who the sender is. I have confirmed though that this is information that the Working Group is working from (at least in February 2015). I had sat on this as I did not want to pre-empt any recommendations that were made. Given that the information on the Working Group is now being drip fed, I’ve decided to partly release this information.
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This information comes from a Draft Report of Theme Two to the Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers. I understand that this is the proposal from the Department of Social Protection.
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The Working Group has considered four proposals, proposed by the Department of Social Protection, in relation to the direct provision allowance payment:

Proposal One: To recommend an adult direct provision allowance of €38.74 per week, with €29.80 per week per child. On the basis of current persons (child and adults) in direct provision, this would cost an extra €4, 125,573 per year.

Proposal Two: An adult direct provision allowance of €38.74 per week, with a child allowance of €19.20 per week. On the basis of current persons (child and adults) in direct provision, this would cost an extra €3, 266,864 per year.

Proposal Three: An adult direct provision allowance of €25.59 per week, with a child allowance of €12.86. On the basis of current persons (child and adults) in direct provision, this would cost an extra €1, 109,807 per year.

Proposal Four: An adult direct provision allowance of €22.35 per week, and a child rate of €11.23 per week. On the basis of current persons (child and adults) in direct provision, this would cost an extra €555,620 per year.
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Whatever the working group ultimately recommends, and whatever the Minister for Justice and Minister for Equality decide to do with this recommendation, I would hope that at a minimum direct provision allowance would be increased in light of proposal one. While I fundamentally disagree with the system of direct provision, its controlling and demeaning nature, the total denial of self-sufficiency and indignity foisted upon residents within enclosed institutional settings, such an increase may go some way (and admittedly not as far as I would like) to enhancing respect and dignity for those in direct provision.