Meath County Council rejects second IPAS centre planning exemption in Trim
This is the second rejection in recent weeks. A similar application for an IPAS centre at the Oaktree Business Park was also turned down by the local authority last month. Both proposed developments have sparked local concern, particularly regarding the suitability of industrial units for residential accommodation, and the lack of public consultation in the exemption application process.
Cathaoirleach of Trim Municipal District, Councillor Ronan Moore welcomed both decisions and said of the Fairgreen proposal: 'I believe this exemption was not going to succeed too. They were never suitable for people to live in.'
'What seems to be motivating the sourcing of sites for IPAs accommodation is not for the benefits of people seeking refuge but actually for profit.'
'People are also unaware of these applications until they are being made and that's causing a lot of anger, frustration, worry and concerns, much of which is understandable but what that also does is attract a small and vocal minority who uses this opportunity to spread ill-willed and racist sentiments. And it's not who we are as a people,' he said.
Mr Moore added that the government needs to change their approach on dealing with people seeking international protection.
'The government's approach needs to change, they have to take responsibility in sourcing these centres themselves. They have to do consultations with people to bring them along to make sure this is done correctly and humanely for people going into the international protection system.'
Meanwhile Councillor Noel French said: "Hopefully this ends this horrible period of people's fears and anxiety. This means that the applicants have to apply for planning permission and open up a decision to people and councillors to have their say. In most cases applicants like this just walk away after upsetting whole communities.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
2 days ago
- The Journal
Debunked: Asylum seekers are not exempt from income tax for a year after they are allowed to work
WHILE SOME ASYLUM seekers are entitled to work in Ireland while waiting for a decision on their application, it is not true that they enjoy a 'tax-free year' while doing so. The claim, which was shared in a recruitment video for an anti-immigration group, appears to be a misunderstanding of a plan to charge working asylum seekers that are in accommodation provided through the International Protection Accommodation Scheme (IPAS). The claim was shared in a video featuring a man wearing a 'MÉGA'cap, which stands for Make Éire Great Again — a slogan used by some Irish fans of Donald Trump. Shouting at a crowd, he talks about migrants who want to 'impose their sharia law' and says Irish people now slaves. 'Jim O'Callaghan, not three months ago, came out on RTÉ — I only watch it to see what I'm catching him out on — but he came out and said some IPAS residents are currently employed. They may be asked to contribute to society in a year's time. Where's my tax-free year? I have to pay through the nose for everything.' The post containing the speech is a recruitment video for anti-immigration group Síol na hÉireann. It is unclear if the man in the video has a connection with Síol na hÉireann, which has previously been investigated by the Advertising Standards Authority for using footage of assaults in its recruitment material. The Journal has previously debunked posts by this group, including multiple false claims about black people attacking white people in Ireland. As of writing, one version of the video have been viewed more than 232,300 times on Facebook, and more than 22,000 times on X. Both were posted on 10 August. The claim made in the video is said to stem from an appearance by Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan on RTÉ. The Journal was unable to find an appearance matching the description, and a spokesperson from O'Callaghan's office said that they were unfamiliar with what the man in the video was speaking about. It seems likely that the video confuses O'Callaghan with Colm Brophy, who is a Minister of State at the Department of Justice. Advertisement Brophy has spoken publicly about plans to charge working asylum seekers for their accommodation. (O'Callaghan's office confirmed he supports the plan). However, these plans have little resemblance to what was being talked about in the video other than some shared terminology, such as uses of the term 'contribution'. The government's plans are not about changing how IPAS applicants are taxed. Rather, these plans involve charging asylum seekers who are entitled to work for accommodation in IPAS centres as a way to reduce the cost of the international protection system to the government. Currently, asylum seekers in Ireland can be granted permission to work if they have been waiting more than 6 months for the first decision on their application. The Sunday Independent reported that one proposal says that 11,400 people in IPAS centres are estimated to have an income and would be eligible to pay the fee. So, what has this got to do with a 'tax-free year'? Not much, it appears. 'Applicants for international protection are subject to the same system of taxation as all other people resident in Ireland,' a spokesperson for the Department of Justice told The Journal. 'There is no exemption from income tax for applicants under the International Protection Accommodation Scheme who have an entitlement to work in Ireland,' Revenue said in response to the online claims. Claims that asylum seekers or other foreign nationals have preferential treatment in Ireland are commonly spread by anti-immigration groups. Thai year, The Journal has previously debunked claims that immigrants get shorter prison sentences than Irish citizens; that traffic rules do not apply to non-Irish people; that the Irish government pays Ukrainians to repair their cars or has spent €200,000 per car to help isolated Ukrainians; and that taxes go toward subsidising foreign-owned businesses . Want to be your own fact-checker? Visit our brand-new FactCheck Knowledge Bank for guides and toolkits The Journal's FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network's Code of Principles. You can read it here . For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader's Guide here . You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... It is vital that we surface facts from noise. Articles like this one brings you clarity, transparency and balance so you can make well-informed decisions. We set up FactCheck in 2016 to proactively expose false or misleading information, but to continue to deliver on this mission we need your support. Over 5,000 readers like you support us. If you can, please consider setting up a monthly payment or making a once-off donation to keep news free to everyone. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Post
7 days ago
- Irish Post
Asylum seekers who get DEA from the government increased by thousands last year
IRELAND'S asylum system is under increasing pressure as the number of people receiving daily allowance payments continues to rise. According to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), over 18,500 people sought asylum in Ireland in 2024. This surge is reflected in the sharp rise in the number of recipients of the Daily Expense Allowance (DEA), with 7,000 more people receiving the payment compared to 2023. The DEA is a payment made each week consisting of €38.80 for adults and €29.80 for children, aimed at helping those living in Direct Provision or International Protection Accommodation Services to pay for living costs. However, people who have received permission to work or have enough income do not qualify for the payment. Demographically, the profile of those receiving the DEA shows that 48% were aged between 25 and 44, with almost a quarter of recipients in 2024 under the age of 15. A gender imbalance persists, with men making up nearly two-thirds of recipients each year from 2022 to 2024. The CSO notes that in the last decade, the percentage of women benefiting from the allowance remained consistently lower than that of men. New beneficiaries in 2024 came primarily from Nigeria, Jordan, Somalia, and Pakistan, while in previous years, Algeria and Georgia each had over 1,000 people receiving support. As of the most recent IPAS figures, Nigeria tops the list of countries with the most people in accommodation, followed by Georgia, Algeria, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Jordan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and South Africa. The financial cost of accommodating asylum seekers has risen dramatically. In 2024, for the first time, annual state expenditure on International Protection accommodation exceeded €1 billion, marking a 54% increase from the €651 million spent in 2023. Minister for Integration Norma Foley confirmed that the average daily cost per asylum seeker reached €84 in 2024, up from €76.80 the previous year. She explained that costs fluctuate depending on the type and availability of accommodation, as well as the number of residents. Since the start of 2019, Ireland has spent €2.5 billion on housing those seeking protection, with much of that cost concentrated in recent years. In 2021, IPAS was accommodating just over 7,000 individuals. Today, it houses almost 33,000, including approximately 9,000 children with their families. Despite the growing strain on the system, there are signs of successful integration into the workforce. The CSO found that 77% of those who received the DEA for the first time in 2022 had engaged in employment by 2024. This improvement coincided with the reduction of the mandatory waiting period to access the labour market, which was shortened from nine months to six in 2021. Still, a gender gap in employment activity remains. More than 75% of men had employment activity in 2021, 2022, and 2023, while the figure for women ranged from 53% to 65% during the same period. The CSO highlighted a noticeable time lag between DEA receipt and entry into the labour market. Alongside the state's support for international protection applicants, Ireland also manages a separate programme for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, primarily aimed at housing Ukrainians. Since 2022, €239 million has been paid to accommodation providers for housing nearly 50,000 individuals under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) provides €800 per month to hosts, with over 15,500 hosts currently housing almost 36,000 people in more than 19,000 accommodations across the country. Dublin, Cork, Donegal, Mayo, and Galway have the highest numbers of ARP recipients. Plans are underway to develop more state-owned or publicly managed facilities in an effort to reduce this dependency. Although the number of new asylum seekers in 2025 has decreased by around 40% compared to 2024, the long-term demand on Ireland's public services and integration infrastructure remains a concern. See More: Asylum Seeker, DEA, Immigration
RTÉ News
12-08-2025
- RTÉ News
Crunching the numbers of running for president
It costs a lot of money to run for president of Ireland. In the 2018 presidential election, the six candidates spent more than €1.3 million between them. In 2011, when an incumbent wasn't running, the seven candidates that year spent €2.3 million. The highest spending candidate was Fine Gael's Gay Mitchell. His campaign cost €527,000. Under the rules of the Electoral Act 1997, a candidate for the Irish presidency cannot exceed a spend of €750,000. In all presidential, general and European elections, candidates are entitled to a reimbursement from the State if they exceed one quarter of the quota. For presidential elections a quarter of the quota is 50% plus one. So in order for a presidential candidate to be reimbursed, they must get at least 12.5% of votes. In 2011, three of the seven candidate met this threshold. In 2018, just two candidates did. For the upcoming presidential election, the cap on reimbursement has been set at €250,000. In 2018, the cap was €200,000. Political scientist Liz Carolan said that the high cost with the potential for no reimbursement, may explain why some parties seem hesitant to put a candidate forward. "It could be that they're looking back to that experience and they're looking and saying this could easily cost us half a million," she said. That means if a party misreads its candidate's popularity, not only is it potentially embarrassingly, but also hugely costly. "A few former candidates have come out and sort of spoken about how it was a costly and bruising experience," Ms Carolan added. Expenses in a presidential campaign In the 2018 election, just under €75,000 was declared by all candidates as donations to their campaign. That amounts to around 5% of the €1.3 million that was spent by all candidates during that campaign. "It does appear that a log of the funding behind the presidential campaign must be coming from the parties' own funds that they've been raising, individuals own funds, some of these small donations, or some combination of the of all three," Ms Carolan said. This is because the rules on accepting donations in Ireland for a political campaign are quite limiting. Richard Moore was involved in the presidential election campaigns of both Seán Gallagher in 2011 and that of Gavin Duffy in 2018. In 2011, the big difference between Mr Gallagher and the other candidates in the race was the decision by his campaign not to use election posters. "I think the best thing [Seán Gallagher] did was not buy the posters," Mr Moore said. "They're just too expensive. "Back then there were €10 a go." Mr Gallagher made it a point of difference in his campaign that he was the only candidate who wasn't putting up posters. "He used it as a virtue," Mr Moore said, adding that many people are annoyed by posters despite the fact they are useful for recognition. Mr Moore says Mr Gallagher's decision "definitely" started a trend. In 2011, six out of seven candidates used posters as part of their campaign. In 2018, just two candidates out of six did so. In Seán Gallagher's campaign, Mr Moore said the big expenses were staffing and leaflets which were handed out to people outside GAA matches, DART stops and LUAS stops. Mr Moore said that he doesn't believe that either campaign he worked on spent a significant amount of money on online advertising but that could change this time around. "If you're a political party, you've already got the background people, because they're in party headquarters anyway," Mr Moore said. "You might hire in a few extra people, but generally speaking, you already have your support staff. "If you run as an independent, you have to build up your staff in a short period of time. "Communications people, your advertising people, your campaign manager is very important ... your diary people." Mr Moore said that staffing is the big expense for an independent candidate. However, he maintains that no spend is worth more than the candidate's performance on the TV debates. "That's where I think the resources would need to be put into in terms of maybe candidate training and that kind of stuff. "Ultimately it's always going to be won or lost on TV." Fundraising and merchandise In 2018, the biggest spender was the incumbent, Michael D Higgins. His election campaign expenses were reported as more than €360,000. Conor Power, director of elections for President Higgins' re-election bid in 2018 said that this campaign was unique as it was the first time a sitting president was campaigning for a second term since Éamon de Valera in the 1960s. Mr Power said that President Higgins was "extremely popular" in 2018 and therefore "fundraising was not the most difficult." The campaign also had a lot of merchandising that it was able to raise money from. "Certain spends in a campaign are preordained," Mr Power said, citing posters and advertising on both traditional and social media platforms. "You have to reach people where they are," Mr Power said, "whether that be by posters, by leafleting and then canvassing." "People want to meet the candidates, that's a big issue and a part of any spend." Mr Power said he doesn't feel there is any one particular expense that is vital to a campaign. "A campaign spend has to be balanced around all the different means of communication and means of getting people to meet the candidate," he said. Election literature of the past Alan Kinsella has been collecting Irish election literature since he was 12 years old and his collection for the Irish presidency goes back to the 1930s. One thing that is clear from looking at the literature is that the bid for the Irish presidency is a personality-driven race rather than party-driven. "Dev, Erskine Childers, Adi Roach, Mary Robinson, Brian Lenihan, Liadh Ní Riada and Michael D Higgins - none of them have the party logo," Mr Kinsella said, referring to his collection of leaflets. "Mary McAleese is the only person to have won a presidential election using the party logo and actually she was a candidate for Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats," he added. Although Michael D Higgins and Mary Robinson both used the Labour Party rose, neither used the Labour Party itself in their election material.
