The number of International Protection Applicants who received a Daily Expense Allowance (DEA) rose by 7,000 last year, compared to 2023.
Latest data from the Central Statistics Office shows almost half of those who received the weekly payment (48%) were aged between 25-44 years.
The DEA is a weekly payment made to asylum seekers living in Direct Provision accommodation/International Protection Accommodation Services to cover personal expenses.
Not all people seeking International Protection are beneficiaries of the DEA which is paid at a rate of €38.80 per week for adults and €29.80 per week for children.
Individuals who live in Direct Provision who have been granted permission to work or have sufficient income do not receive the allowance.
According to CSO data, between 2016 and 2024, the percentage share of women benefiting from the allowance was lower than men.
In 2022, 2023, and 2024, more than 60% of those who received the DEA were male.
Almost a quarter (23%) of those who received the DEA last year were aged under 15 years.
In 2024, there were over 1,000 new beneficiaries from Nigeria, Jordan, Somalia, and Pakistan.
Other countries that had over 1,000 people receiving the DEA in previous years were Algeria in both 2022 and 2023, and Georgia in 2022.
Turning to employment, the CSO looked at those who received the DEA for the first time in 2022. By 2024, 77% of them had employment activity.
The waiting period for International Protection Applicants to enter the labour market reduced from nine months to six months in 2021.
The time lag around the ability to enter the labour market is clearly evident throughout the results, according to the CSO.
Males had a higher percentage of employment activity of more than 75% in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Female percentages of employment activity varied from 53% to 65% over the same years.
The CSO has acknowledged that the rise in the number of beneficiaries of the DEA would be expected to coincide with a rise in the number of people seeking International Protection in Ireland.
Last year, over 18,500 people sought international protection. The number who have sought asylum this year is down by around 40% on 2024.
