Latest news with #InternationalProtectionAccommodationScheme
The Journal
17 hours ago
- Politics
- 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 Independent
05-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
IPAS speculation continues in Wexford as council can't assess wastewater capacity of potential sites
Wexford People With speculation continuing to mount that at least one new International Protection Accommodation Scheme (IPAS) centre is to be opened in the Wexford village of Killnick, the local council has said it can't assess the environmental impact of potentially 100 residents until they actually move in.
Irish Independent
04-06-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
IPAS speculation continues in Wexford as council says it can't assess wastewater capacity of potential sites
Wexford People With speculation continuing to mount that at least one new International Protection Accommodation Scheme (IPAS) centre is to be opened in the Wexford village of Killnick, the local council has said it can't assess the environmental impact of potentially 100 residents until they actually move in. Applications to turn both The Danby Lodge and The Moyglare Lodge into IPAS centres have already been submitted and there remains a degree of uncertainty regarding the purpose of ongoing works at Cooper's Inn. While the future use of Cooper's has yet to be confirmed, Councillor Frank Staples has asked that an environmental report be carried out at the premises to assess its wastewater capacity. However, at the May meeting of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD) he was informed that such an assessment would be pointless until the building is back in use. 'Our inspector is going to have a look at it but because there's no actual incident (to investigate) I'm not sure if she's going to have very much to do,' said environmental engineer Rory O'Mahony. 'The inspector has said that because there isn't a failure issue there and because the premises isn't occupied, there's not an incident she can deal with.' Cllr Staples then confirmed that a planning application would be forthcoming from Cooper's Inn, to which Mr O'Mahony replied, 'It will have to go through the planning process first then.'
Irish Independent
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Proposed IPAS centre in Wexford village should be subject to environmental inspection – ‘there's no mains there, you're dealing with septic tanks'
As concerns continue to be raised about the possibility of an International Protection Accommodation Scheme (IPAS) centre being established in the Danby Lodge hotel in Killinick, local councillors have moved to clarify the reasons behind those specific concerns. With cathaoirleach of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD), Councillor Jim Codd, suggesting that his colleagues' sudden interest in the environment masked darker, more grave, concerns, it was left to Cllrs Ger Carthy and Lisa McDonald to defend their respective positions. Related topics Simon Bourke
Irish Independent
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Proposed IPAS centre in rural Wexford village should be subject to environmental inspection – ‘there's no mains there, you're dealing with septic tanks'
As concerns continue to be raised about the possibility of an International Protection Accommodation Scheme (IPAS) centre being established in the Danby Lodge hotel in Killinick, local councillors have moved to clarify the reasons behind those specific concerns. With cathaoirleach of the Rosslare Municipal District (RMD), Councillor Jim Codd, suggesting that his colleagues' sudden interest in the environment masked darker, more grave, concerns, it was left to Cllrs Ger Carthy and Lisa McDonald to defend their respective positions. 'I asked the chief executive of Wexford County Council (WCC) to contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and inform them that the Danby Lodge will be the subject of an intensification case (if it becomes an IPAS centre),' said Cllr Carthy. 'Previous planning regulations would have stated that in the 29 rooms there would be an average of two people as a hotel, now if it becomes an IPAS centre we're moving to four people.
