Review of 'direct provision' to be sought

The Free Legal Advice Centres (FLAC) is to seek a judicial review of the Government's "direct provision" policy of payment to asylum seekers.

Ms Maureen Maguire, solicitor with FLAC, said the review was being sought because there was "no statutory basis" for the policy.

Under "direct provision" asylum seekers are housed with bed and board, and given a weekly "comfort" allowance of £15 per adult and £7.50 per child.

A report published yesterday found that direct provision forced asylum seekers to let their children go hungry and that parents themselves, including pregnant and nursing mothers, were going hungry in an effort to give their children more to eat.

The report, Beyond The Pale, was funded by Combat Poverty and carried out for the Irish Refugee Council.

Ms Maguire said she expects leave for the review "within the next couple of weeks". FLAC had been encouraged by a large number of NGOs to seek the review, she said.

Ms Maguire said it was iniquitous with the way the State treated other recipients of welfare payments, including the homeless and the unemployed. FLAC has also carried out research into the human rights implications of direct provision.

The research, carried out by Ms Caroline O'Connor, will be published later in the year.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms Liz O'Donnell, said the findings of the Beyond The Pale report "must be taken seriously by Government".

Ms O'Donnell said: "Any evidence of malnourishment and ill-health arising from the system of direct provisions . . . must be investigated and rectified is found to be accurate."

Direct provision was introduced last year by the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue.