As this is the season of generosity and goodwill——

And orchids.

——let me draw attention the case of people whose needs have been overlooked in recent years and who do not exercise a great deal of political clout because they do not have a vote. I refer to approximately 6,000 asylum seekers who are in receipt of direct provision. This is the arrangement whereby the State pays for their board and lodgings. They are not permitted to work or claim social welfare benefits in the normal way while their asylum claims are being processed. As we know, processing can take considerable time.

When the system of direct provision was introduced in 1999, a payment was introduced to cover the incidental expenses asylum seekers might have, including the cost of bus fares, additional food and Christmas gifts. It is a weekly payment that amounts to €19.10 for adults and €9.60 for children. The problem is that the payment has not been increased since 1999. It still stands at €19.10. It is not a great bounty and one would not go wild on it. I need not remind the Taoiseach the number of times that he and the rest of us have seen increases in our salaries since 1999. Would he consider, at this time of the year, bringing that €19.10 into line with the movement in incomes over the period of time since 1999? It is very regrettable that this small allowance has not been increased in that period of time. The number of people involved is declining because the number of asylum applications is on the way down. The Government could make a generous gesture at this time of the year.

It is correct to say that the allowance has not been increased. The Minister informs me that he has been in discussions with the groups about that particular issue. However, the cost to the State has increased. Modern accommodation has been purchased with taxpayers' money and the State has often had to pay high capital costs towards such direct provision. Services, ancillary facilities and staff are also provided. While the cost of this allowance has not increased since 1999, the cost to the State in providing these facilities has been enormous in the past eight or nine years.

Our asylum system compares to the best in the world in terms of its fairness, decision making and support services for asylum seekers, including access to the necessary legal and medical services. We have reduced the waiting time for people who are on refugee application determination since the late 1990s. The number of asylum applications increased dramatically between 1998 and 2002. It is now declining, as Deputy Gilmore pointed out. Last year, there were almost 4,500 applications, which was the lowest in a number of years. In April, the figure was down to just under 300, the lowest monthly figure for eight or nine years. However, the cost to the State of providing accommodation and services is high. I am not involved in the details of the Minister's meeting, but we must operate a fair system. It is not an open door system. We treat asylum seekers in a very fair way in this country. Within his limits, the Minister always takes this matter into consideration. The kind of accommodation we are purchasing and the direct provision is very good, notwithstanding the fact that the payment has not been increased.

The cost to the State of running the Taoiseach's Department has also risen quite considerably since 1999, but it would hardly justify the Taoiseach being paid the same salary as he was paid then. Some of the cost to the State associated with the asylum process was not very prudent expenditure on the part of the State. Hotels were bought that were never used. If we want to go down the road of what it has cost the State, a different argument can be made.

The fairness or otherwise of our system is not the issue I am raising. This is a small amount of money; €19 per week covers people's bus fares and other incidental expenses, such as whether they want to buy their children a gift for Christmas. I am disappointed at the Scrooge-like response of the Taoiseach this morning. I did not honestly expect that there would be resistance to it. This issue has been overlooked and the payment has been stuck at that level since 1999. These people have no political clout as they do not have a vote and, therefore, they are not exerting political influence. Many of them have come here from very trying situations in their own countries, perhaps fleeing latter-day Herods. They are not allowed to work here and they simply have to sit there while their asylum cases are being processed. Some of the processing can take a very long period of time.

I ask the Taoiseach to look at this issue generously. It is not a substantial amount of money and it will not involve a significant cost to the State. It will only bring the €19 payment up to what it would have been in real terms in 1999. It is not an outrageous demand and it could be readily agreed to. I ask the Taoiseach and his Government to agree to it before Christmas.

It is a matter for the Minister in terms of what he can or cannot do. He has been in discussions. I am not getting into that, but I do not believe that there will be any changes, to be frank. We have considerable guidelines that we have followed under both the UN and with our own policies. We have been fair and generous with direct provision in this country. We have not taken the routes of other countries as we do not agree with them. Direct provision is a costly system and we operate that rather than direct payments. There is a substantial cost involved. If we took the opposite route, direct payments would be made rather than give direct provision and €19. We provide accommodation and food and we have substantially improved direct provision each year over the past few years. I am not doing the budget for the Department, but that is the principle.

Our asylum system compares to the best in the world in terms of fairness, support and back-up services. We do not have to make any apology in that regard.

Why are they not allowed to work?