Over the past few years, I've watched the conversation around asylum seekers and refugees in Ireland grow louder, but one thing I’ve noticed is that the actual numbers — how many people we’re supporting, and how much it's costing — are surprisingly difficult to find.
You’d expect clear answers from government websites or media outlets, but in reality, you have to dig through different departments, combine multiple sources, and read between the lines. That’s exactly what I’ve done here — gathering everything available to get a more realistic picture of Ireland’s total spend and responsibilities in 2024 and 2025.
Because there is no single public dataset that outlines Ireland’s full spending on refugees and asylum seekers — especially when you include health, education, and legal costs — the figures provided here are reasoned estimates based on best available information.
That makes it hard for the public to have a grounded discussion. We hear arguments from all sides, but no one can make a fully informed point unless they’ve done the research themselves — which, frankly, shouldn't be the case for something costing us billions per year.
That’s not something to take lightly — and it’s definitely not something we should be guessing about.
You’d expect clear answers from government websites or media outlets, but in reality, you have to dig through different departments, combine multiple sources, and read between the lines. That’s exactly what I’ve done here — gathering everything available to get a more realistic picture of Ireland’s total spend and responsibilities in 2024 and 2025.
A Quick Disclaimer
This article is based on the most accurate and current data available from official Irish government sources, reputable media, and European agencies as of July 2025.Because there is no single public dataset that outlines Ireland’s full spending on refugees and asylum seekers — especially when you include health, education, and legal costs — the figures provided here are reasoned estimates based on best available information.
Who Exactly Are We Supporting?
Let’s get this clear: when people talk about “asylum seekers” in Ireland, they usually only mean the latest yearly arrivals. But the State is actually supporting three distinct groups:- Asylum seekers (or International Protection Applicants – IPAs)
- Recognised refugees and people granted protection who haven’t yet been moved into private housing
- Ukrainians under the EU Temporary Protection Directive
Current Numbers:
32,948 people (including 9,162 children) were living in Direct Provision as of February 2025
→ Source: AIDA / asylumineurope.org
Around 80,000 Ukrainians are still living in Ireland under temporary protection, either in State housing or in private rentals
→ Source: CSO, Irish Times
What’s the State Actually Spending?
This is where things get more complicated — and more expensive.Accommodation
- In 2024, the Irish Government spent €1.84 billion on accommodation for international protection applicants and Ukrainian refugees
→ Source: The Irish Sun - In just Q1 of 2025, the State spent €415.8 million — that’s over €4.6 million per day
→ Source: Irish Times
Welfare Supports
- Asylum seekers receive the Daily Expenses Allowance (DEA) — €38.80/week for adults and €29.80/week for children
→ Source: Citizens Information - Ukrainians, until recently, received the full Jobseeker’s Allowance — up to €232/week — before new limits were introduced in late 2024 to reduce their payments to the same level as DEA
→ Source: Irish Times - In 2023, the Department of Social Protection allocated €1.8 billion specifically to Ukrainian-related supports
→ Source: CSO Social Protection Report
Healthcare, Legal Aid & Education
These costs are not published in one place, but refugees and asylum seekers are entitled to:- Medical Cards (fully State-funded GP visits, prescriptions, dental)
- Legal Aid including translation, case hearings, and reports (e.g. €492 per medico-legal report)
- Free primary and secondary education
- Additional Needs Payments, rent supplement, back-to-school grants
Estimated Total Annual Cost (2024–2025)
| Category | Estimated Spend (EUR) |
|---|---|
| Accommodation (2024) | €1.84 billion |
| Ukrainian Welfare (2023) | €1.8 billion |
| Health, Legal, Education | ~€300–€400 million (estimated) |
| Total Annual Spend | €2.5 – €3.0 billion |
So Why Isn’t This Common Knowledge?
Honestly? Because the Irish government doesn’t publish a single, unified report that outlines this. You have to go through multiple sources — IPAS, CSO, Social Protection, press reports, NGO audits — to even begin to put the pieces together.That makes it hard for the public to have a grounded discussion. We hear arguments from all sides, but no one can make a fully informed point unless they’ve done the research themselves — which, frankly, shouldn't be the case for something costing us billions per year.
Final Thoughts
Ireland has made a huge commitment — morally, financially, and socially — to helping people in need. That’s something we can be proud of. But it also comes with real costs, and right now, we’re spending somewhere between €2.5 and €3 billion every year to support a combined refugee population of over 113,000 people.That’s not something to take lightly — and it’s definitely not something we should be guessing about.
