Government plans to introduce a new system of supports, rather than social welfare payments, to asylum-seekers have been strongly criticised.
According to Fine Gael and Labour, the proposal to introduce direct supports in the form of food, clothing and accommodation should be scrapped.
Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Mr Alan Dukes, described as "oppressive and nonsensical" the proposals to replace social welfare payments by contributions in kind and to house asylum-seekers in vacant Army barracks. "They are oppressive because they would, in effect, transfer to the State the decision on how families lead their lives by directing their pattern of expenditure. This would constitute gross interference by the State and smacks of the `nanny state' which the PDs themselves say is anathema", Mr Dukes added.
Labour's justice spokesman, Mr Pat Upton, said that the Government was attempting to distract attention from the intolerable delays in processing asylum applications. "The Minister appears to have latched on to a discussion document presented to the British cabinet in July and is now attempting to cobble together a policy on that basis."