The Social Protection Minister has defended the timing around means testing an allowance for international protection applicants.
Since June, the State has been carrying out a means test for the daily expenses allowance for asylum seekers in State-provided accommodation.
Applicants had been entitled to an allowance of up to €38.80 per week, but it is now dependent on their income.
The rate is reduced for those earning more than €60 per week and entirely cut off for anyone earning more than €125.
Minister Heather Humphreys, who has been in the role since 2020, announced the means test for the allowance a number of weeks before the local and European elections.
However, the State has had the power to bring in means testing for such payments since 2018.
Asked why she dd not implement the measure sooner, the minister said “there was a lot going on”.
She added: “Since 2020, there’s a lot of things that have happened in the Department of Social Protection. We were in the…
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